Facilitators and barriers of male partner involvement in antenatal care at Kawempe National Referral Hospital.

OBJECTIVE

Male partner involvement (MPI) has been recognized as an integral part of the health system's response to delays in seeking care, reaching hospitals, and accessing appropriate care. This practice has, however, been suboptimal in sub-Saharan African countries. This study sought to explore the facilitators and barriers of MPI in antenatal care (ANC) in Uganda.

METHODS

This was an explorative qualitative study, conducted through focused group discussions with women accompanied by their male partners, women who were not accompanied by their male partners and male partners who had accompanied their wives for ANC. Key informant interviews with healthcare workers and telephone interviews with male partners who had not accompanied their wives were also conducted. The data collected was analyzed thematically using NVIVO version 12 software using predetermined themes to generate data codes and subthemes.

RESULTS

The facilitators of MPI were divided into three major themes, that is, health related facilitators, maternal facilitators and health facility facilitators and these included presence of adverse events of pregnancy, provision of patient counseling and education and availability of male friendly services such as designated waiting areas. The barriers to MPI included prolonged waiting time at ANC sites, fear of high hospital bills, limited accessibility of ANC facilities, unfavorable conditions at work, and stigmatization from other men.

CONCLUSION

The present study highlights that MPI in ANC is influenced by a combination of health-related, maternal, and facility-based facilitators, while barriers include systemic, financial, social, and workplace-related challenges. Flexible, stigma-free ANC services accommodating male schedules are recommended.