Factors influencing male involvement in maternal and child health care : a qualitative study at Kyenjojo General Hospital, Kyenjojo District

Abstract

Introduction: Male involvement in maternal and child health care is crucial for improving out comes for both mothers and new-borns. However, despite the various policy measures and global awareness campaigns to improve the state of male involvement, male participation still remains low in many rural areas of Uganda. This qualitative study aimed at exploring the sociocultural, individual, household and systematic factors influencing male involvement in MCH at Kyenjojo General Hospital. Methodology: This qualitative study employed purposive sampling and included a total of 18 participants broken down into 15 primary participants and 3 key informants of reproductive age 18-50 years from the antenatal and maternity wards of Kyenjojo General Hospital in Kyenjojo District. In-depth interviews and Key informant interviews were conducted to explore factors influencing male involvement in Maternal and Child health care at Kyenjojo General Hospital. Data was analysed using thematic analysis to identify key themes related to the topic of study. Findings: The findings from the data collection revealed recurring broad themes of individual and household, sociocultural and health system related factors that directly and indirectly influence male participation in maternal and child health care. The findings further highlight the importance of more targeted community education, policy changes and improvements within the health system to enable and encourage more male participation in maternal and child health care. Recommendation: There is an urgent need to design gender inclusive and culturally sensitive programs to help bring more men on board and ensure over all well-being of both women and children in Kyenjojo district.