SynthesisGlobal health action2024
Fathers' involvement in pregnancy and childbirth in Africa: an integrative systematic review.
Synthesis in Global health action, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effects of Digital Mindfulness Training for Couples on Psychological Distress and Infant Neuropsychological Development: Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of medical Internet research · 2025Trial
- Initiation of immediate postpartum family planning and its determinants among women delivering in health facilities: a cross-sectional study.Reproductive health · 2026Article
- What Is My Role? A Qualitative Study of Labor, Birth, and Postpartum Experiences of Partners.Nursing & health sciences · 2026Article
- The cost-effectiveness of male-partner treatment to prevent recurrence of bacterial vaginosis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Clinical and maternal factors related to father's involvement in pregnancy: a cross-sectional study.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2026Article
- Exploring Men's Perception of Participating in the Natural Childbirth Process: A Qualitative Content Analysis.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2026Article
- Sesotho Women's Preferences for Male Partner Involvement During Antenatal Care and Delivery.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- "You know how men are": the gendered nature of support during pregnancy in South Africa - an exploratory convergent mixed-method study.Sexual and reproductive health matters · 2025Article
- Mental health challenges and HIV status disclosure among children and adolescents living with HIV in Eastern Uganda.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- "Reviving neglected abilities: men's participation in making childbirth pleasant": a qualitative study.Reproductive health · 2025Article
- Sociocultural Factors Shaping Fatherhood and Men's Participation in Antenatal Care in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa: A Scoping Review.Sociology of health & illness · 2025Article
- Obstetric Caregivers' Perspectives on Barriers and Perceived Impacts of Male Involvement in Antenatal Care and Labour in Ekiti State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Study.International journal of community based nursing and midwifery · 2025Article
- How maternal morbidities impact women's quality of life during pregnancy and postpartum in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: A qualitative study.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Relational contexts and men's responsibilities informing men's participation in antenatal care in rural sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- The paternal influence on early childhood development in Africa: implications for child and adolescent mental health.Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health · 2024Article
- Should fathers witness childbirth? A survey of attitudes of expectant mothers attending a tertiary hospital in Kano, northern Nigeria.Journal of global health reports · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAs notions of masculinity evolve globally, it is important to understand their dimensions within geographic regions and life contexts. African men's involvement in their partners'pregnancy and childbirth has been explored to a limited extent in the peer-reviewed literature. This analysis provides a comprehensive examination of the existing literature on the diverse experiences of fathers across the African continent.
aimThis study aims to provide an overview of fathers' experience of involvement in their partners' pregnancies andchildbirth in Africa.
methodsA systematic integrative literature review guided the process. The review comprised problem identification, literature search, data evaluation, data analysis and presentation of results. Systematic searches were conducted in the Cinahl, PubMed and Scopus databases.
resultsThe search identified 70 articles of which 31, relating to 11 African countries, were used. Of these, 20 were qualitative, 9 were quantitative and 2 were mixed-methods studies. Men's alienation from health services, and traditional gender norms that discourage fathers' supportive role during pregnancy were prevalent themes. Financial pressures also dominated fathers'experiences. At the same time, in 18 studies fathers expressed motivation to be involved partners and supportive fathers, despite stigma and exclusion from maternity services.
conclusionThis integrative review shows that fathers' experiences of their involvement in their partners' pregnancy and childbirth across African countries are influenced by multiple factors. While unwelcoming health services, traditional gender norms, and low income are barriers to male involvement, education, younger age, and modern gender norms are associated with greater male involvement.
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