Husbands Are Not Involving on Their Wife's Antenatal Care Follow up: Health Institutions Based Cross-Sectional Study in Harari Region, Ethiopia

Husbands are not involving on their wife’s antenatal care follow up: Health institution based cross-sectional study in Harari region, Ethiopia

Yadeta Dessie^1*(MPH), Ayele Geleto¹ (BSc.PH), Fekede Aseffa¹ (BSc.PH),Kedir Teji ¹(MPH)

 

Background: Majority of maternal mortality and morbidity are associated with pregnancy, delivery and post-delivery events. One among many concerted efforts to mitigate these problems is birth preparedness and complication readiness which needs a joint decision of the women and husband or partner. 

Objective: To assess husbands’ involvement on their wife’s Antenatal Care (ANC) follow up in Harari region.

Methods: Health institutions based cross-sectional study was conducted among ANC attendant mothers from May to June 2011. To collect the data face-to-face interviews was conducted when women come for ANC.

Results: 385 women were included in the study. Majority (57.8%) were rural residents, 40% illiterate and 93% were in marital relationship. About twenty two (22.9%) women reported one or more complication/s in their recent previous pregnancy/s where vaginal bleeding was the commonest (35.1%). Twenty three percent (23.9%) faced one or more complications during recent deliveries: obstructed labor (16.1%), excessive vaginal bleeding (5.7%) retained placenta (1.6%), uterine rapture (1.3%) and others (1.6%). Surprisingly, 79% were not accompanied by their husband during their current visit. These reasons given were: he was busy 210 (54.6%),  he thought  ANC is an issue of the wife only 52 (13.6%), he didn’t  have knowledge about complications to happen during pregnancy (5.7%), she don’t know the reason (3.6%) and  the rest were  reasoned out as: he didn’t  feel responsible, he feels shame, I don’t  allow him  to come with me.

Conclusions: In addressing maternal health, husband involvement has to be an area to be considered critically at all levels as husbands in majority of the cases still are the autonomous decision makers on the household properties.