Male participation in reproductive and child health care: A cross-sectional study in Western Maharashtra

Q2 Medicine

Medical Journal Armed Forces India Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2025-07-09 DOI:10.1016/j.mjafi.2025.05.010

Abhinav Pareek, Saibal Adhya, Sanjivani Patil, Suruchi Maheshwari

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) is a crucial indicator of a country's development. Involvement of males in RCH services is often limited in India. Therefore, it is crucial to explore the role and involvement of men in maternal healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth. Hence present study was planned to assess the awareness and participation in RCH among married males in an urban area of Western Maharashtra and to find out socio-demographic factors associated with male participation in reproductive child health care.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2019 to October 2021 in an urban area of Western Maharashtra. Census data of all participants was available through family folders. Out of these, names of married men (<40 years) of age were selected, and numbers were allotted to each individual. A total of 393 married men were selected through systematic random sampling from a complete list of eligible participants. A pre-tested structured questionnaire assessed socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, and participation in RCH care (antenatal, natal, postnatal care, immunization, and contraception). Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 20.

Result

The mean age of respondents was 31 years, with a 98.4% literacy rate. 97% knew about contraception; 52.7% were currently using it. 85.5% showed moderate to high participation in RCH care. 84.7% of couples made joint decisions regarding family planning. Significant associations were found between male participation and education, wife's education, and number of children.

Conclusion

Male involvement is essential for improving RCH outcomes. Education and joint decision-making emerge as critical factors influencing male participation. The study highlights the need for integrating men into reproductive health programs to improve health outcomes. Encouraging joint decision-making in reproductive and family health is a promising strategy for achieving maternal health goals.

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男性参与生殖和儿童保健：西马哈拉施特拉邦的横断面研究

生殖和儿童健康（RCH）是一个国家发展的重要指标。在印度，男性参与生殖健康服务的情况往往有限。因此，探讨男性在怀孕和分娩期间孕产妇保健中的作用和参与至关重要。因此，本研究计划评估马哈拉施特拉邦西部城市地区已婚男性对生殖健康的认识和参与情况，并找出与男性参与生殖儿童保健有关的社会人口因素。方法本横断面研究于2019年9月至2021年10月在西马哈拉施特拉邦的一个城市地区进行。所有参与者的普查数据均可通过家庭文件夹获得。从中选出年龄在40岁以上的已婚男性，并给每个人分配号码。通过系统随机抽样，从完整的合格参与者名单中选出了393名已婚男性。预先测试的结构化问卷评估了社会人口特征、知识和参与RCH护理（产前、分娩、产后护理、免疫和避孕）。数据分析采用SPSS version 20。结果调查对象平均年龄31岁，识字率98.4%。97%的人知道避孕；52.7%的人目前正在使用。85.5%的患者中至高度参与了RCH护理。84.7%的夫妇共同决定计划生育。研究发现，男性的参与程度与教育程度、妻子的教育程度和子女数量之间存在显著关联。结论男性参与对改善RCH预后至关重要。教育和共同决策成为影响男性参与的关键因素。该研究强调了将男性纳入生殖健康项目以改善健康结果的必要性。鼓励在生殖和家庭保健方面共同决策是实现孕产妇保健目标的一项有希望的战略。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Medical Journal Armed Forces India Medicine-Medicine (all)

CiteScore

3.40

自引率

0.00%

发文量

206

期刊介绍： This journal was conceived in 1945 as the Journal of Indian Army Medical Corps. Col DR Thapar was the first Editor who published it on behalf of Lt. Gen Gordon Wilson, the then Director of Medical Services in India. Over the years the journal has achieved various milestones. Presently it is published in Vancouver style, printed on offset, and has a distribution exceeding 5000 per issue. It is published in January, April, July and October each year.