SPOUSAL COMMUNICATION DURING PREGNANCY AND MATERNAL HEALTH DECISION MAKING IN NADOWLI-KALEO DISTRICT OF THE UPPER WEST REGION

Abstract

Despite all the interventions put in place with the quest of improving upon maternal and child health nationwide, little has been done in the aspect of spouses’ communication during pregnancy and how it imparts on maternal health decision makings. The study sought to unravel the influence spousal communication during pregnancy has on maternal health decision making in the Nadowli-Kaleo district. A mixed method approach was applied, 218 pregnant women, 6 midwives, village health volunteers from three communities and three health facilities in the District respectively were interviewed. In-depth interviews were conducted with the midwives and VHV selected purposively, interviews were also conducted with pregnant women at the three health facilities selected using stratified sampling in the Nadowli-Kaleo district. This study found out that majority of respondents (96.8%) indicated that they often discuss with their husbands about issues concerning their health while only 3.2% did not. Majority of respondents (97.2%) stated they often discuss with their husbands about their pregnancy while 2.3% did not and 0.5% did not remember whether they did or not. According to respondents, barriers to spousal communication were generally as a result of quarrels, shyness and husbands’ jobs responsibility making them have little time to communicate. About 64% of respondents scored high in male involvement in maternal health decision making during ANC period while about 36% of males scored low in maternal health decision making during ANC period. Age was found to influence male involvement in maternal health decision making. Practical steps must be taken by the DHMT to encourage and support the formation of father to father support groups (FTFSGs) in the district, just as there is mother to mother support groups (MTMSGs) and ensure that such groups are sustainable and functioning.