Husbands’ participation in birth preparedness and complication readiness and associated factors in Kucha district, GamoGofa Zone, Southern Ethiopia

Abstract Background Birth-preparedness and complication-readiness (BPCR) is the process of planning for normal birth and anticipating the actions needed in case of an emergency. The involvement of husband during pregnancy and its complication helps an expectant mother to make timely decisions to avoid delays. Therefore, this study aims to assess the level of husband involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness and associated factors in Kucha District, Gamo Zone, Southern Ethiopia.Methods Community-based cross-sectional study was conducted 421 among husbands with a wife who gave birth within the last 12 months at Kucha District. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study subjects. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire by trained data collectors. Binary and multivariable logistic regression with odds ratios along with the 95% confidence interval analysis were employed to find factors associated with the dependent variable. A p-value <0.05 with 95% confidence level were used to declare statistical significance.Result Data collected from 421 husbands. One hundred twenty-seven (30.2%) husband involved in birth preparedness and complication readiness plan. Husbands who attend secondary and higher level of school (AOR=3.1, CI (1.84-5.23)), husbands whose wives had antenatal care follow up four and above (AOR=4.91, CI (2.36-10.2)), and husbands whose reside more than 5 km from health care facility (AOR=2.35, CI=1.40-3.96)), were significantly associated with husband involvement in birth preparedness and complication readiness.Conclusion Husbands involvement during birth preparedness and complication readiness was 30.2%. Educational level, the frequency of antenatal care, and the distance to the health facility were factors significantly affect the husbands’ involvement.