Male involvement in maternal health: perspectives of opinion leaders

Aborigo, Raymond, Reidpath, Daniel D., Oduro, Abraham R. and Allotey, Pascale, (2018). Male involvement in maternal health: perspectives of opinion leaders. Journal Article, 18:3 1-10

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Aborigo, Raymond
    Reidpath, Daniel D.
    Oduro, Abraham R.
    Allotey, Pascale
    Title Male involvement in maternal health: perspectives of opinion leaders
    Appearing in Journal Article
    Volume 18:3
    Publication Date 2018
    Place of Publication UK
    Publisher The Authors
    Start page 1
    End page 10
    Language eng
    Abstract Background: Twenty years after acknowledging the importance of joint responsibilities and male participation in maternal health programs, most health care systems in low income countries continue to face challenges in involving men. We explored the reasons for men’s resistance to the adoption of a more proactive role in pregnancy care and their enduring influence in the decision making process during emergencies. Methods: Ten focus group discussions were held with opinion leaders (chiefs, elders, assemblymen, leaders of women groups) and 16 in-depth interviews were conducted with healthcare workers (District Directors of Health, Medical Assistants in-charge of health centres, and district Public Health Nurses and Midwives). The interviews and discussions were audio recorded, transcribed into English and imported into NVivo 10 for content analysis. Results: As heads of the family, men control resources, consult soothsayers to determine the health seeking or treatment for pregnant women, and serve as the final authority on where and when pregnant women should seek medical care. Beyond that, they have no expectation of any further role during antenatal care and therefore find it unnecessary to attend clinics with their partners. There were conflicting views about whether men needed to provide any extra support to their pregnant partners within the home. Health workers generally agreed that men provided little or no support to their partners. Although health workers had facilitated the formation of father support groups, there was little evidence of any impact on antenatal support. Conclusions: In patriarchal settings, the role of men can be complex and social and cultural traditions may conflict with public health recommendations. Initiatives to promote male involvement should focus on young men and use chiefs and opinion leaders as advocates to re-orient men towards more proactive involvement in ensuring the health of their partners.
    Keyword Ghana
    Maternal health
    Safe motherhood
    Male involvement
    Role of men
    Maternal morbidity
    Near miss
    Copyright Holder BioMed Central
    Copyright Year 2018
    Copyright type Creative commons
    ISSN 14712393
    DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-017-1641-9
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    Created: Fri, 07 Feb 2020, 18:48:37 JST by Nor Sazlin Said on behalf of UNU IIGH