Involvement of husband in maternal and child health care in rural field practice area of a tertiary medical college in South India—A mixed method study

Background: To commemorate the 25th anniversary of International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in the pursuit of Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights views of duty bearers (men) who are mostly not involved in antenatal care in a patriarchal society like India needs to be explored. Design: It is a mixed method study (Triangulation). Setting and Population: It was conducted in a rural field practice area of a private medical college in South India covering a population of 19,200. Objectives: 1) To determine the involvement of husband in maternal and child care. 2) To find out the perceptions of the husbands of antenatal pregnant women in maternal and child health (MCH) care. Methods: (Quan) A semi-structured questionnaire to find out the areas where husband is involved maximum during antenatal care (Qual). In-depth interviews was conducted to find out the factors associated with their involvement. Results: About 72.5% came for antenatal visits while it decreased to 27.5% during labor and further decreased to 20.3% during immunization. The reasons for decreased participation were (1) Professional Commitments, (2) Views of a Patriarchal society like India, (3) Financial Difficulties, and (4) Health Facility Related Challenges. Conclusion: There is a need to educate the husband regarding the importance of husband's involvement during delivery and immunization. Programs should also include men as the stakeholders for accountability and better MCH care for women.