Male Involvement in Birth Preparedness in Ogun State, Nigeria: A Rural/Urban Comparative Cross-sectional Study

Though male involvement is associated with improved maternal and child health outcomes, the practice is low in developing counties like Nigeria. This comparative cross-sectional study described and compared male involvement in birth preparedness between rural and urban areas of Ogun State, Nigeria. It was carried out among 440 fathers of under-fives each from rural and urban local governments using multistage sampling to select participants. Data were collected using an interviewer-administered questionnaire and Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Thematic analysis of FGD was done. Relevant descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated and results presented in frequency tables. Male involvement was statistically significantly better in rural areas than in urban areas (P= <0.001). Tertiary education (AOR= 2.446, 95% C. I= 1 .559- 3.838) remained significant predictor of male involvement in birth preparedness in the urban area while predictors in rural area were young paternal age (AOR 0.465, 95% C.I= 0.223-0.967) and tertiary education (AOR= 6.241, 95% C.I=1.827-21.317). This implies that male involvement in birth preparedness was better among educated men in both urban and rural areas.