Abstract:
Background: Usage of family planning services in developing countries has
been found to avert unintended pregnancies, and drastically reduce maternal
and child mortality. Men as the main decision-makers in most of African
families have an important role to play towards acceptance of family planning
methods; however, its usage still remains low. The primary objective of this
study was to investigate the factors that influence male involvement in family
planning. Method: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study conducted
within the Tema Metropolis in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The chosen research approach provided an opportunity to interact with adult male
respondents to access their perceived factors that contribute to their level of
involvement in family planning programs. A stratified sampling technique
was used to recruit 227 participants aged (19 - 58) years using a well-structured
questionnaire. Univariate, bivariate and multivariate analyses were respectively conducted to estimate frequencies, measure the level of associations
and predict outcomes on selected variables outputs. Results: The study revealed that a little over two-thirds (68.72%) of the respondents disagreed that
total family planning is an issue for only women. The majority (83.26%) of
the respondents, said their communities accept the act of men accompanying
their wives or partners for family planning services, though 36.12% of them
reported that their family and friends see it strange for men to attend family
planning with their wives/partners. Among the 34.4% of respondents who
reported ever attending any such family planning clinic, 56.41% have attended just once. Marital status, employment status and knowledge about
family planning of respondents were positively associated with male involvement in family planning (p-value < 0.05). The odds of a male involvement in
family planning progressively increase in relationship to the depth of knowledge one has on family planning. However, being old (46 - 58 yrs), unmarried and self employed, significantly served as protective factors against male
participation in family planning. Conclusion: In this study, the level of male
involvement was low, although most men were aware of family planning in
the Tema Municipal. Old age, being unmarried and self-employed were the
factors that influence male involvement in family planning. Thus, there is a
need for the office of the Metro Health Directorate to intensify health education on the benefits of family planning with male involvement. The family
planning programs should incorporate the responsibility and role of males in
the uptake of family planning service
