Abstract:
The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD)
emphasized the need for men to actively participate in sexual and reproductive health.
However, male partner involvement in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)
in Kenya remains limited. This study aimed to develop, implement, and evaluate the
effectiveness of a facility-based intervention model to promote male partner
involvement (MPI) in maternal and neonatal health at Thika County and Referral
Hospital. An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design was employed. The
qualitative phase involved three focus group discussions (FGDs) with nurses and two
FGDs with male partners to explore barriers and enablers to male involvement.
Thematic analysis was conducted using MAXQDA 2022 software, which revealed key
themes including limited awareness, traditional gender norms, and logistical
constraints as major barriers. These insights informed the design of a structured health
facility-based intervention, tested using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design.
Ethical approval was sought from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and
Technology (Ref. No. JKU/ISERC/02316/1113) and informed consent from
participants. A total of 60 women (30 intervention, 30 control) between 17–28 weeks’
gestation were recruited via systematic random sampling. Male partners in the
intervention group received formal invitations to attend antenatal care (ANC) and were
followed through six months postpartum. Quantitative data were collected using pre
tested semi-structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS v27.0. Statistical tests
included chi-square, Fisher’s exact test, and Mann–Whitney U test, with a significance
threshold of p < 0.05. The primary outcome male accompaniment to ANC was
significantly higher in the intervention group (U = 11.000, p < 0.001), with a large
effect size (r = 0.98). Significant improvements were also observed in male support
during pregnancy and childbirth (p < 0.001), knowledge of danger signs in pregnancy
(p < 0.001), awareness of exclusive breastfeeding recommendations (p = 0.005), and
uptake of couple HIV counselling and testing (p < 0.001). These findings demonstrate
that a context-specific, structured, facility-based intervention model can effectively
enhance male partner involvement in MNCH and contribute to improved maternal and
infant health outcomes.
This study recommends that the National and County
governments should consider adapting the intervention model to promote MPI in
MNCH services.
