Awareness and perception of husbands towards obstetric danger signs in northern Ethiopia

Abstract Background The Ethiopian demographic and health survey indicate that maternal mortality in Ethiopia is one of the highest in the world. The national reproductive strategy of Ethiopia has given emphasis to maternal and newborn health so as to reduce the high maternal and neonatal mortality. One of the targets in the strategies is to ensure that 80% of all families recognize at least three danger signs. However, a few researches have been focused on husband’s awareness towards obstetric danger signs. Objective This study was aimed to assess awareness and perception of husbands towards obstetric danger sign and associated factors in northern Ethiopia, 2018 Methods Community based cross sectional study was done from February 2018 to March 2018, in Mekelle city, Tigray region, Ethiopia. Multi stage sampling was used to reach 620 husbands. Data were entered, cleaned using Epi info version 7 and analyzed by SPSS version 22.0. Results are presented by frequencies, percentages, mean and standard deviation. Binary and multivariable logistic analyses were employed to identify variable associated with awareness and perception of obstetrics danger signs. In multivariable logistic analyses variables with P-value < 0.05 were declare statistically significance. Result About 49.7% and 33.4% of husbands had good awareness and high perception on obstetric danger signs respectively. Husbands with daily labor occupation had 80% (AOR=0.2:95%CI; 0.13-0.44) less likely to have good awareness than governmental employee. Husbands with monthly income of 501-1000 birr had 5.8 times (AOR= 5.8, 95% CI: 1.22-27.89) high perception compared to those with monthly income of less than 500 birr. Conclusion one in two and one in three husbands was having good awareness and high perception about obstetric danger sign respectively. Source of information, occupation of husband, income, occupation of mother and education of husband were significantly associated with husband’s awareness on obstetric danger sign. Moreover variables like monthly income, occupation of mother and number of children were significantly associated with of husband’s perception on obstetric danger signs of their wives. Interventions are needed in creating awareness and perception of husbands’ in obstetric danger signs to recognize its complications.