ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2020
Do male engagement and couples' communication influence maternal health care-seeking? Findings from a household survey in Mozambique.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers.
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12 citing papers in PubMed, 22 citations in OpenAlex.
- Healthcare resource use among participants in a randomized trial of partner-based HIV treatment for seroconcordant couples in antenatal and postnatal care in rural Mozambique.BMC research notes · 2026Trial
- Husbands' Knowledge of Obstetric Danger Signs, Attitude, and Involvement in the Maternity Continuum of Care in Rural Central Ethiopia: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study.Health science reports · 2026Article
- Policy in practice: assessing Senegal's family planning progress using a mixed-methods approach.BMJ global health · 2026Article
- Social mechanisms of maternal health service use among pregnant women facing intersecting vulnerabilities in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.BMJ public health · 2026Article
- Factors influencing male involvement in maternal and child health care from the health center of Xai-Xai city, Mozambique: a cross-sectional qualitative study.Frontiers in reproductive health · 2026Article
- Understanding the role of the husband in supporting early detection, diagnosis, and treatment for breast cancer patients in Northern Tanzania: a qualitative study.BMC public health · 2025Article
- Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Pregnant Women and Their Spouses Toward Intraspinal Labor Analgesia.Patient preference and adherence · 2025Article
- Factors that influence the uptake of postnatal care from the perspective of fathers, partners and other family members: a qualitative evidence synthesis.BMJ global health · 2023Review
- Factors associated with home delivery preference among pregnant women in Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study.Global health action · 2022Article
- The role of gender power relations on women's health outcomes: evidence from a maternal health coverage survey in Simiyu region, Tanzania.BMC public health · 2021Article
- Factors affecting the choice of delivery place in a rural area in Laos: A qualitative analysis.PloS one · 2021Article
- A Qualitative Endline Evaluation Study of Male Engagement in Promoting Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Services in Rural Kenya.Frontiers in public health · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThis study explored effects of couples' communication and male participation in birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) on delivery in a health facility ("institutional delivery"). A cross-sectional, baseline household survey was conducted in November 2016 prior to an integrated maternal and child health project in Nampula and Sofala Provinces in Mozambique.
methodsThe study used the Knowledge, Practices and Coverage survey tool, a condensed version of the Demographic and Health Survey and other tools. The sample included 1422 women. Multivariable logit regression models tested the association of institutional delivery with couples' communication and four elements of BPCR both with and without male partners: 1) saving money, 2) arranging transport, 3) choosing a birth companion, and 4) choosing a delivery site; controlling for partners' attendance in antenatal care and social and demographic determinants (education, wealth, urban/rural location, and province).
resultsThe odds that women would deliver in a health facility were 46% greater (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.02-2.10, p = 0.04) amongst women who discussed family planning with their partners than those who did not. Approximately half of this effect was mediated through BPCR. When a woman arranged transport on her own, there was no significant increase in institutional delivery, but with partner involvement, there was a larger, significant association (aOR = 4.31, 2.64-7.02). Similarly, when a woman chose a delivery site on her own, there was no significant association with institutional delivery (aOR 1.52,0.81-2.83), but with her partner, there was a larger and significant association (aOR 1.98, 1.16-3.36). Neither saving money nor choosing a birth companion showed a significant association with institutional delivery-with or without partner involvement. The odds of delivering in a facility were 28% less amongst poor women whose partners did not participate in BPCR than wealthy women, but when partners helped choose a place of delivery and arrange transport, this gap was nearly eliminated.
conclusionsOur findings add to growing global evidence that men play an important role in improving maternal and newborn health, particularly through BPCR, and that couples' communication is a key approach for promoting high-impact health behaviors.
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