Factors associated with choice of place of delivery and number of children born at home among husbands in the health districts of Anié and Kéran in Togo
Abstract
Introduction : A woman dies every two minutes from causes related to pregnancy or childbirth. One of the well-documented factors associated with maternal mortality is home delivery. Husbands play a significant role in determining the place of delivery for their spouses, and several factors influence this decision.
Objective : The aim of this study was to examine the factors associated with husbands’ choice of place of delivery and those related to the number of children born at home under their responsibility in the health districts of Anié (Plateaux Region) and Kéran (Kara Region) in Togo.
Methodology : This was a cross-sectional study using a three-stage systematic sampling method.
Result : The results showed that the average age of the husbands was 32.18 ± 0.58 years, with the average age at marriage being 23.20 ± 0.24 years, and respective medians of 32 years and 23 years. Husbands aged between 22 and 40 years were the most frequently surveyed. The typical age range at which these male partners marry was between 19 and 28 years. The results of the linear analysis on the average number of home births by socio-professional characteristics showed that male partners with no formal education had the highest average number of home births (3.68±0.41), followed by those who had a religious marriage (3.66±0.66). The analysis revealed a correlation between the number of home births and the husband’s age (p-value = 0.001) as well as between the number of home births and the age at marriage (p-value = 0.015), with a significance threshold set at 5%. The logistic regression results showed that a woman whose husbands decides on a home delivery is 382.23 times more likely to deliver at home rather than in a healthcare facility (p = 0.040; OR = 382.23; CI [1.32 – 110368.89]).
Conclusion : The husband’s age, age at marriage, education level, and the choice of delivery location for his spouse were statistically significant factors associated with the number of home births and the decision to deliver either at home or in a healthcare facility.
Keywords:
Husband, Home Birth, Number of children, Factors, EmONC Maternities, Anié, Kéran, TogoDOI
https://doi.org/10.22270/jddt.v15i6.7233References
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