Male and Community Involvement in Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness in Benin City, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Background : The role of men in maternity care in Africa is understudied. Their role is pivotal wi th appropriate community framework for the success of any maternal health initiative. This study was conducted to assess male and community involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness in Benin City. Study Design : A descriptive cross sectio nal study design was utilized for this study. Results : Two hundred and thirty seven consenting spouse/male respondents participated in the study. The study showed that male attendance at ANC was 33(13.9%) with 32 (97.0%) accompanying their wives sometimes and 1(3.0%) always for ANC. Furthermore , 127 (55.0%) male respondents accompanied their partners during labour. Community involvement in BPACR was 17(6.7%), with community transport services 14(82.4%) being the predominant form of community support. Conclu sion : Male and community involvement in BPACR was low in this study. Better involvement is required through advocacies and setting up of community support struc tures such as transport scheme and community health insurance schemes to enhance emergency fund savings for improved maternal care .