Urban-rural differences in health service-related factors associated with male involvement in family planning services in Abia State, Southeastern Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To identify and compare the health service-related factors associated with male involvement in family planning services among the rural and urban areas in Abia State, Nigeria.Design: A community-based cross-sectional study.Setting: Twelve communities (six urban and six rural) in Abia State, NigeriaParticipants: Five hundred and eighty-eight (588) men aged 15-59 years and resident in the study area 6 months before the study were recruited.Main outcome measure: Male involvement in family planning servicesResults: The mean ages of the respondents were 41.8±8.0 years and 43.1±8.0 years in the urban and rural areas, respectively. Active male involvement in family planning services was significantly higher in urban areas (62.6%, 95%CI: 56.8%-68.1%) compared to the rural areas (47.6%, 95%CI: 41.5%-53.2%. p<0.001). The predictors of male involvement included gender preference of healthcare workers (aOR=1.75, 95%CI:1.01-3.03) and attitude of the healthcare workers (aOR=2.07, 95%CI:1.17-3.67) among the urban participants, compared to occupational status of the respondents (aOR=2.50, 95% CI: 1.16-5.56) and the availability of male-friendly clinics (aOR=2.27, 95%CI:1.25-4.15) among the rural participants.Conclusion: Health service-related factors associated with male involvement varied between the urban and rural settings. Stakeholders should target addressing health service-related factors by types of settlement while designing family planning programs targeting men

Perception and Attitude towards Involvement of Males in Family Planning Practices in Nigeria

“…Evidence has shown that man's involvement can lead to contraceptive uptake through the pathway of increased spousal communication [11]. However, family planning programmers have traditionally focused on women as the primary beneficiaries and men have been considered as the silent partners of the services [12]. The concerns that led to the study about the men`s knowledge and attitude are mostly the ideal of family size, gender of children, ideal spacing between childbirth and contraceptive method use are of great influence in women`s preferences and opinions [13].…”