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Factors Influencing Low Utilization of Postnatal Care at Six Days Among Mothers in Rural Zambia: A Case of Siavonga District Hospital

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Postnatal care (PNC) is a critical intervention for reducing maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality, yet its utilization remains low in many rural African settings. This study assessed factors influencing low attendance of postnatal mothers at six days at Siavonga District Hospital, Zambia. A cross-sectional study design was employed involving 384 postnatal women selected from Maternal and Child Health (MCH) registers. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and analysed using SPSS version 24. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s chi-square tests were used to determine associations between socio-demographic variables and PNC attendance.

Only 14.2% of mothers attended postnatal services at six days, indicating critically low utilization. Significant factors associated with non-attendance included maternal age, parity, education level, distance to the health facility, and knowledge of PNC services. Social and cultural practices such as postpartum seclusion, negative perceptions of health workers, long waiting times, and limited partner support were also identified as key barriers.

The findings highlight the need for community-based awareness programs, improved quality of care at facilities, and strengthened male involvement strategies. Enhancing early postnatal follow-up services could substantially improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in rural Zambia.

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness of Men in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

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This study examined the personal characteristics, knowledge, and attitudes of expectant fathers in Uyo, Nigeria, towards birth preparedness and complication readiness (BP/CR). Utilizing a convenience sample of 120 expectant fathers, the research explored how factors such as age, marital status, occupation, and education level influenced their understanding of and engagement in maternal health practices. Data obtained were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics such as frequency and correlation. The results indicated that most fathers were in their prime reproductive years (65, 54.2%), predominantly Christians (116, 96.7%), married (72, 60%), and employed (96, 80%), often as businessmen or traders (66, 55%) with a tertiary level of education (82, 68.3%). Also, majority demonstrated high knowledge (100, 83.3%) and positive attitudes towards BP/CR (84, 70%), with marital status (0.993), occupation (0.949), and number of children (0.964) showing strong correlations with favorable attitudes (p<0.01). These findings underscore the importance of socio-cultural factors in shaping paternal involvement in maternal health, advocating for targeted interventions that consider these variables to enhance male participation in maternal care and improve maternal and neonatal outcomes.

Gender Norms, Attitudes and Perceptions towards Male Involvement in Maternal Health in Kafue District, Lusaka

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Male involvement in maternal health remains a major issue despite efforts by the international community. Despite the many benefits of male involvement in antenatal care there has been an observed low participation. Community gender norms, attitudes and perceptions towards male involvement in maternal health may affect the utilization of services offered by health facilities. The gap observed in many studies is that the attitude and perception of men regarding maternal health have largely been neglected. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the gender norms, attitudes and perceptions towards male involvement in maternal health in Kafue district of Zambia. The study adopted a descriptive research design. Both quantitative and qualitative paradigms were utilized in this study. A sample of 150 participants was used. Data was collected by the help of questionnaire and in-depth interviews.

Results showed that respondents from Kafue were knowledgeable on antenatal care. Additionally, it was also revealed that respondents had a positive attitude towards male involvement in maternal health. However, due to gender norms their roles were limited when it came to delivery and child care. Nevertheless, the findings showed that men were involved in supporting their wives and helping out with house chores and providing money for antenatal care, skilled birth at a hospital, postnatal care, childcare and any necessities required for delivery. Men who were married were more likely to be involved in maternal health than men who were not married. The study also revealed that men were not comfortable with discussing their wives’ pregnancy with a health care provider due to lack of privacy. Findings suggested that there were many factors affecting male involvement in maternal health. Lack of messages and programs targeting men, health stuff attitude during delivery, gender norms such as men not being allowed to attend to women when in labor and hospital infrastructure were identified by the respondents as a cause to low male involvement. In this study, it was also revealed that men and women had a positive perception towards pregnancy being a shared responsibility, men supporting and caring for their wives during and after delivery. However, both men and women had a negative perception towards men’s presence in the delivery ward.