Research Article
Haftom Gebrehiwot, Woldegeb
Abstract
Background: Male involvement in reproductive health has been promoted as a promising new strategy for improving maternal and child health. The promotion of husband participation in the process of antenatal care and in preparations for the delivery is very important. Objective: To assess husband participation on birth preparedness and complication readiness in Enderta Woreda, Tigray region, Ethiopia, 2012. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study was conducted among 376 husbands whose wives was delivered within the last 12 months preceding the study in Enderta Woreda northern part of Ethiopia from August to September 2012. Multi stage stratified sampling technique with Probabilities proportional to size was used. Study subjects again were selected by systematic random sampling technique from 10 randomly selected kebelle’s in the Woreda. Data was collected using structured interview questionnaire and entered, cleaned and analyzed using SPPS version 16.0 statically package software. Result: The study revealed that about 60.4% husbands had good practice and participated on birth preparedness. And regarding the husbands complication readiness practice in the labor and delivery, 193 (51.30%) of the respondents were reported that their wives were delivered by skilled birth attendant and the role of those husbands, 174(46.30%) were told their wife to get skilled birth attendant, 152(42.00%) were informed to health facility for their place of childbirth, 99(26.30%) were accompanied their wife to labor room, and 59 (15.70%) had gave money for health services and transportation. In addition, 75(19.90%) of all respondents perceived the actual complications faced for their wives during that delivery. The respondents major source of information about birth preparedness and complication readiness where, 43.6% heard from health care providers, 23% from Radio/television, and 21.3% discussion with different peoples. Conclusion and recommendation: Husbands have good practice in birth preparedness, but poor participation in complication readiness of maternity care. The community should be informed husbands to participate in complication readiness, generate income for the normal maternal health care and considering complications in pregnancy, labor and after labor, education for the female youth and promotion of facility birth, health education about husbands’ birth preparedness of wife and other studies to be conducted on the husband involvement in maternal health care service.