Title: Awareness, Knowledge and Perceived Barriers to Male Involvement in Safe Motherhood among Men in Ife Central Local Government Area, South West, Nigeria

Authors: Ogidan Oluwakemi Christie, Oke Rebecca Oluwaseun

 DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v8i3.09

Abstract

   

Objectives: Assessed the awareness, knowledge of safe motherhood and the barriers to male involvement in safe motherhood.

Study Design: the study is descriptive cross sectional research design in which 60 men from the participating 3 wards in Ife central local government, Osun state were selected using muiti-stage sampling method. Data were obtained using a self-developed, pretested questionnaire, sorted and analysed using SPSS version 20. The results were presented using frequency tables and pie charts

Results: The study revealed that well below average (16.7%) of the respondents heard about safe motherhood less than 10 years ago and only 16.7% gave correct description of safe motherhood. Majority of the respondents have fair knowledge of the components of safe motherhood and danger signs of pregnancy. Also, there is significant relationship between the educational status of men and their knowledge of components of safe motherhood. Major barriers identified are lack of access to accurate information about safe motherhood (86.7%), societal and religion disapproval of open discussion of sexual matters (85%) and sexual and reproductive health services that is exclusively focused on women (73.3%).

Conclusion: The awareness of safe motherhood is poor, the men identified the danger signs of pregnancy and component of safe motherhood, this could impact male to take immediate action at the sight of the danger signs in their partners. However, there is need to overcome the barriers identified in order to have male involved in safe motherhood.

Keywords: Awareness, Knowledge, Barriers, Safe motherhood, Male involvement, Men.

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Corresponding Author

Ogidan O.C.

Lecturer II Department of Nursing Science, College of Medicine, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti-State, Nigeria