Magnitude and associated factors of husband involvement on antenatal care follow up in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia 2016: a cross sectional study

BACKGROUND: Involving the husband in antenatal care follow up have a crucial role in pregnancy outcome and highly recommended by the world health organization. Data on husbands’ involvement during ANC follow up in Debre Berhan town was scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess the magnitude and factors associated with the husband involvement in accompanying their wife to ANC follow up. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted during the study period among 405 married men whose wife was pregnant in the last year. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using a pre-tested and structured questionnaire. Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals were used to assess levels of significance. RESULTS: More than half the 62.5% (252/405) of the husbands were involved in accompanying their wife in ANC follow up. A majority, 92.3% (374/405) of husbands had good communication with their wife during pregnancy and 88.6% (359/405) of husbands discussed with doctor about the health-related condition of their wife. Age category of husbands 30–39 years old (AOR: 1.9; 95%CI: 1.1, 3.2) and the educational status of husbands being illiterate and primary school (AOR: 1.8; 95%CI: 1.1, 3.1) and secondary school (AOR: 3.1; 95%CI: 1.7, 5.7) were significant predictors on accompanying their wife in ANC follow up. CONCLUSION: More than half of the husbands were involved in accompanying their wife to ANC follow up. The age and educational status of the husband had significantly associated with an accompanying their wife to ANC follow-up. Educating husbands on the importance of their involvement during pregnancy increase their participation in ANC follow up.