‘My wife, you are supposed to have a rest now’: an analysis of norms influencing men's role in prenatal care in south-eastern Tanzania

Abstract

Men as sexual partners, fathers and household heads have a direct bearing on women's reproductive health. However, little is known about the influence of changing norms and values on men's role in ensuring women's health during pregnancy and childbirth. This study from rural south-eastern Tanzania explores men's and women's discussions on men's roles and responsibilities in prenatal care and links them to an analysis of norms and values at the household level and beyond. Data from eight focus group discussions with men and women were consensually coded and analysed using a qualitative content analysis. Four dimensions of norms and values, which emerged from analysis, bear upon men's support towards pregnant women: changing gender identities; changing family and marriage structures; biomedical values disseminated in health education; and government regulations. The findings suggest that Tanzanian men are exposed to a contradictory and changing landscape of norms and values in relation to maternal health.

Perceptions about the cultural practices of male partners during postpartum care in rural Tanzania: a qualitative study

“…Men were in charge of providing for the family and they were expected to fulfill this role during the postpartum period, as well as at other times. Our findings are similar to those of other studies, which show that men are the main breadwinners and women depend on them for economic support [38,48,56,57]. This study also points out that men were not the most involved in ‘caring’ and household work while the postpartum mother was convalescing.…”

Birth preparedness and complication readiness – a qualitative study among community members in rural Tanzania

“…The community members understood that these conditions could affect anyone and may lead to death. However, financial power and gender roles contribute to inadequate birth preparedness (22, 37–39). A previous study in the same region showed that men are the decision-makers concerning complying with referral advice, and the woman have little or no voice in these decisions, regardless of her becoming suspicious of a potentially dangerous situation during pregnancy or delivery (40).…”

Perceptions of a Father's Role during a Couple's First Pregnancy

“…Men's roles in family and marriage structures were changing which led to contradictions in this society. Men saw themselves as financially responsible, or as the family "breadwinners" despite often being unable to cover the costs of prenatal care (Gross et al, 2013). Although this study provides some evidence as to how fathers may view their role during pregnancy, it is unknown whether American fathers would share this same viewpoint.…”

“…One study explored fathers' roles during pregnancy in rural southeastern Tanzania (Gross et al, 2013). Men's roles in family and marriage structures were changing which led to contradictions in this society.…”

“…When seeking solutions, a father's role in pregnancy should be viewed as important (Tokhi et al, 2018). There is limited evidence about fathers' roles during this life-cycle phase and how the father could influence maternal behaviors, especially in the United States (Gross, Mayumana, & Obrist, 2013;Tokhi et al, 2018). Research in this area will help identify needs for future programs that can support the maintenance of healthy behavior changes during and after pregnancy (Graham et al, 2013).…”