Male involvement in maternal healthcare as a determinant of utilisation of skilled birth attendants in Kenya

Objective: To determine whether there is a relationship between male involvement in maternal health and utilisation of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) after controlling for socio-demographic and maternal characteristics.Design: Data from the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) conducted in 2008–09 were analysed.Setting: Nationally representative survey in Kenya.Subjects: The unit of analysis was couples who met the inclusion criteria of being married and having had a child in the three years before the survey.Results: The adjusted odds ratio after controlling for other factors indicates that women whose husbands attended at least one ANC visit were more likely to have skilled birth attendance than those whose husbands did not attend any ANC visits [AOR, 1.9; 95 percent CI, 1.09-3.32]. Maternal characteristics that had a statistically significant association with delivery by an SBA included educational level, employment, number of ANC visits, and parity. The province where the couple resided also was statistically significant.Conclusion: In Kenya a male partner’s participation, through attending ANC visits, is associated with a woman’s use of an SBA during delivery