Does Men’s Engagement Matter? Women’s Use of Antenatal Care in Sierra Leone

• In Event: 1483 - Open Refereed Roundtable Session
  In Refereed Roundtable 100min: Table 14. Gender, Race, and Childrearing

Abstract

Globally, maternal death continues to be an important public health challenge. However, what remains unknown is how male involvement actually shapes the level of use of antenatal health services – and the timing of such use – for pregnant women in Sub-Saharan Africa. Using data from the 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), we examine the factors related to antenatal health visits in Sierra Leone with a focus on both the level of health care use and the timing of such use vis-à-vis stages of pregnancy. We pay particular attention to the influence of male partner involvement within these health care seeking behaviors. Analyses reveal that about 52% of Sierra Leonean men accompanied their partners for antenatal check-up thereby offering excellent variation through which to examine the relationship between men’s participation and women’s use of antenatal care. The current study reveals the importance of men’s presence during ante-natal visits and some of the factors associated with ANC visits and the timing of ANC visits. Understanding these factors could help both scholars and policymakers better understand how to improve maternal and child health, particularly in the context of Sierra Leone.

Authors

• Adenife Modile, University of Colorado-Boulder

• Lori M. Hunter, University of Colorado-Boulder