Factors affecting male partners’ involvement in maternity waiting home utilization in North Achefer district, Northwest Ethiopia: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: Maternity waiting home is a direct strategy to improving newborn and maternal survival. The utilization of maternity waiting home, however, remains very low in Ethiopia. The involvement of men in maternal health programs is a key strategy to increase utilization of various maternal health services including maternity waiting home. Thus, this study is aimed to determine the proportion of and factors affecting male partners’ involvement in maternity home utilization.Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from November 01 – December 30, 2018. A total of 403 male partners were involved in the study. Data were analyzed by statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 23. Independent predictors were identified by multivariable logistic regression model. Adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was reported.Results: The proportion of male partner’s involvement in maternity waiting home utilization was 55.6% (50.71, 60.45). Age (AOR=0.88, 95% CI=0.82-0.94), knowledge (AOR=4.75, 95% CI=2.65-8.49), decision making power (AOR=4.00, 95% CI=1.38-11.57), and male partners’ who got counseling about maternity waiting home during spousal antenatal care visit (AOR=9.15, 95% CI=3.34-25.03) had statistically significant association with male partner’s involvement in maternity waiting home utilization.Conclusions: Nearly, a half of male partners were involved in maternity waiting home utilization. Men’s age, knowledge, decision making power, and receiving counseling were factors for male partner involvement in maternity waiting home utilization. Targeted interventions on increasing men’s knowledge about maternity waiting home and changing patriarchal thinking in the society can improve men’s involvement in maternity waiting home utilization.