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Qualitative study of the role of men in maternal health in resource‐limited communities in western Kenya
Author(s) -
Brubaker Kathryn,
Nelson Brett D.,
McPherson Heather,
Ahn Roy,
Oguttu Monica,
Burke Thomas F.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2016.06.015
Subject(s) - focus group , qualitative research , psychological intervention , construct (python library) , medicine , psychology , gerontology , nursing , sociology , social science , anthropology , computer science , programming language
Objective To better understand the beliefs of men and women in western Kenya regarding the appropriate role of men in maternal health and to identify barriers to greater involvement. Methods Between June 1 and July 31, 2014, a cross‐sectional qualitative study enrolled lay men, lay women, and community health workers from Kisumu and Nyamira counties in western Kenya. Semi‐structured focus group discussions were conducted and qualitative approaches were utilized to analyze the transcripts and identify common themes. Results In total, 134 individuals participated in 18 focus group discussions. Participants discussed the role of men and a general consensus was recorded that it was a man's duty to protect women during pregnancy. When discussing obstacles to male involvement, female participants highlighted gender dynamics and male participants raised financial limitations. Conclusion There was considerable discrepancy between how men described their roles and how they actually behaved, although educated men appeared to describe themselves as performing more supportive behaviors compared with male participants with less education. It is suggested that interventions aimed at increasing male involvement should incorporate the existing culturally sanctioned roles men perform as a foundation upon which to build, rather than attempting to construct roles that oppose prevailing norms.