TY - JOUR
T1 - Expectant fathers' participation in antenatal care services in Papua New Guinea
T2 - A qualitative inquiry
AU - Davis, Jessica
AU - Vaughan, Cathy
AU - Nankinga, Justine
AU - Davidson, Lisa
AU - Kigodi, Hellen
AU - Alalo, Eileen
AU - Comrie-Thomson, Liz
AU - Luchters, Stanley
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper forms part of a larger study that the authors conducted between June and August 2012 to examine health seeking behaviour for antenatal care, men’s involvement in ANC, and prevention, testing and treatment of STIs and HIV. This study employed a qualitative study design including focus group discussions (FGDs) and key informant interviews (KIIs) using standard question guides. Given the relative dearth of published research into expectant fathers’ involvement in ANC in PNG, this study design was appropriate to explore and build our understanding of this topic. This study was funded by UNICEF PNG and conducted to inform design of the “Haus Man Sambai Long Ol Mama” project, a UNICEF PNG pilot program to increase men’s involvement in ANC and PPTCT.
Funding Information:
We are grateful to the men, women, and health workers in Chimbu Province, National Capital District, Southern Highlands Province and Western Highlands Province who gave their time to take part in FGDs and KIIs. We thank Wendy Holmes from Burnet Institute and Christiana Morf from UNICEF PNG Country Office for their assistance with study design and Wing-Sie Cheng, HIV Regional Advisor for UNICEF East Asia and Pacific Regional Office, for reviewing the study report. The authors would also like to acknowledge the support of the Provincial AIDS Councils in providing local data collectors to implement this study, and the data collection teams who organised and completed FGDs and KIIs, and assisted in data analysis for this study. We gratefully acknowledge the contribution to this work of the Victorian Operational Infrastructure Support Program received by the Burnet Institute. This study was funded by UNICEF PNG, to support a pilot program for improving male involvement in PPTCT implemented in partnership with PNG Catholic HIV/AIDS Services Incorporated (CHASI). The Study received technical support and approval from UNICEF PNG, CHASI and the National Department of Health.
Funding Information:
This study was funded by UNICEF PNG. UNICEF PNG representatives participated in formulation of study objectives and design of FGD and interview question guides. UNICEF PNG’s PPTCT and Paediatric AIDS Specialist, Dr. Justine Nankinga, reviewed and commented on study findings and drafts of this manuscript. UNICEF PNG representatives did not participate in data collection, analysis or interpretation of data.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 The Author(s).
PY - 2018/5/8
Y1 - 2018/5/8
N2 - Background: The importance of engaging men in maternal and child health programs is well recognised internationally. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), men's involvement in maternal and child health services remains limited and barriers and enablers to involving fathers in antenatal care have not been well studied. The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes to expectant fathers participating in antenatal care, and to identify barriers and enablers to men's participation in antenatal care with their pregnant partner in PNG. Methods: Twenty-eight focus group discussions were conducted with purposively selected pregnant women, expectant fathers, older men and older women across four provinces of PNG. Fourteen key informant interviews were also conducted with health workers. Qualitative data generated were analysed thematically. Results: While some men accompany their pregnant partners to the antenatal clinic and wait outside, very few men participate in antenatal consultations. Factors supporting fathers' participation in antenatal consultations included feelings of shared responsibility for the unborn child, concern for the mother's or baby's health, the child being a first child, friendly health workers, and male health workers. Sociocultural norms and taboos were the most significant barrier to fathers' participation in antenatal care, contributing to men feeling ashamed or embarrassed to attend clinic with their partner. Other barriers to men's participation included fear of HIV or sexually transmitted infection testing, lack of separate waiting spaces for men, rude treatment by health workers, and being in a polygamous relationship. Building community awareness of the benefits of fathers participating in maternal and child health service, inviting fathers to attend antenatal care if their pregnant partner would like them to, and ensuring clinic spaces and staff are welcoming to men were strategies suggested for increasing fathers' participation in antenatal care. Conclusion: This study identified significant sociocultural and health service barriers to expectant fathers' participation in antenatal care in PNG. Our findings highlight the need to address these barriers - through health staff training and support, changes to health facility layout and community awareness raising - so that couples in PNG can access the benefits of men's participation in antenatal care.
AB - Background: The importance of engaging men in maternal and child health programs is well recognised internationally. In Papua New Guinea (PNG), men's involvement in maternal and child health services remains limited and barriers and enablers to involving fathers in antenatal care have not been well studied. The purpose of this paper is to explore attitudes to expectant fathers participating in antenatal care, and to identify barriers and enablers to men's participation in antenatal care with their pregnant partner in PNG. Methods: Twenty-eight focus group discussions were conducted with purposively selected pregnant women, expectant fathers, older men and older women across four provinces of PNG. Fourteen key informant interviews were also conducted with health workers. Qualitative data generated were analysed thematically. Results: While some men accompany their pregnant partners to the antenatal clinic and wait outside, very few men participate in antenatal consultations. Factors supporting fathers' participation in antenatal consultations included feelings of shared responsibility for the unborn child, concern for the mother's or baby's health, the child being a first child, friendly health workers, and male health workers. Sociocultural norms and taboos were the most significant barrier to fathers' participation in antenatal care, contributing to men feeling ashamed or embarrassed to attend clinic with their partner. Other barriers to men's participation included fear of HIV or sexually transmitted infection testing, lack of separate waiting spaces for men, rude treatment by health workers, and being in a polygamous relationship. Building community awareness of the benefits of fathers participating in maternal and child health service, inviting fathers to attend antenatal care if their pregnant partner would like them to, and ensuring clinic spaces and staff are welcoming to men were strategies suggested for increasing fathers' participation in antenatal care. Conclusion: This study identified significant sociocultural and health service barriers to expectant fathers' participation in antenatal care in PNG. Our findings highlight the need to address these barriers - through health staff training and support, changes to health facility layout and community awareness raising - so that couples in PNG can access the benefits of men's participation in antenatal care.
KW - Antenatal
KW - Engaging men
KW - Male involvement
KW - Maternal health
KW - Papua New Guinea
KW - Qualitative
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85046631079&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1186/s12884-018-1759-4
DO - 10.1186/s12884-018-1759-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 29739351
AN - SCOPUS:85046631079
SN - 1471-2393
VL - 18
JO - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
JF - BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth
IS - 1
M1 - 138
ER -