Male involvement in antenatal care in Agege local government area, Lagos state, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Male involvement in antenatal care (ANC) though beneficial remains a global challenge. This study aimed to assess male involvement in ANC among men in Agege Local Government Area of Lagos State Nigeria.Methods: A cross-sectional study, carried out between April and November 2017, among 420 men whose partners had at least one birth in the last 5 years, using interviewer-administered questionnaires. Male involvement was graded as good with minimum 50% score. Associations between male involvement and categorical variables were assessed using the chi-square test with the level of significance set at P < 0.05Results: Mean age of the respondents was 43.80 ± 11.42 years. Many (58.6%) had good involvement in antenatal care. Male involvement was statistically significant with age, educational status, occupation and income with p value of 0.004, 0.024, < 0.001and 0.04 respectively.Conclusion: Age, education, occupation and income were significantly associated with male involvement. Young males should be encouraged to pursue formal education and vocational opportunities.