Effect of Health Education on the Knowledge, Attitude and Involvement by Male Partners in Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness in Rural Communities of Sokoto State, Nigeria

Abstract

Maternal mortality remains a formidable challenge in many developing countries. Most of these deaths occur due to poor preparation for birth, which is largely attributed to poor involvement of male partners. As men are the chief decision-makers, increasing their involvement in maternal health services could lead to improved maternal health outcomes. We studied the effect of health education on the knowledge, attitude and involvement by male partners in birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) in rural communities of Sokoto state, Nigeria. A mixed-method research design involving a quasi-experimental study, with pre and posttest design was used to study 268 married men selected via multistage sampling technique. Data was collected using structured questionnaires and was analysed using IBM SPSS version 23. The mean age of the respondents in both intervention and control groups were 41.6±8.6 years and 43.09±9.34 years (p=0.184), majority were Hausa Muslims. At baseline, 70-75% of the respondents in both groups mentioned ANC and saving money as part of BPCR, however, only half (50%) of the respondents had good knowledge of BPCR; education and occupation were the strongest predictors of having good knowledge. Also, less than half of the respondents in both groups [65(48.2%) and 59(44.3%)] had positive attitude towards BPCR, less than half, [43(32%) vs 47(35%)] were prepared and less than a quarter [38(28.4%) vs 32(23.9)] had high involvement index at baseline. At post intervention, there was significant increase in proportion of respondents with good knowledge, positive attitude and those who were prepared for birth (p<0.005). The intervention was found to be effective in improving the knowledge and attitude of respondents towards BPCR. There is need for the government to organize massive campaign to educate men especially those living in rural areas on BPCR,