Male Partner Involvement In Contraceptive Uptake Amongst Urban Somali Refugees In, Nairobi County, Kenya

ABSTRACT

Male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake is an important aspect of public health worldwide in the control of the upsurge of populations. Decisions about contraceptive use and childbearing may be confounded by unequal power relations, especially in more patriarchal societies as in the Somali community which emphasizes on male dominance in the culture. Male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake has been shown to greatly influence uptake and continuation rates. According to International Organization for migration (IOM) report of 2010, it indicated that current average use of modern contraceptives amongst urban Somali refugees was 20%, significantly lower than the KDHS report of 2009 at 46% for Kenyan women. The report also stated that the total fertility rate among the Somali population is between 5.7 and 6.7, irrespective of their geographical location. The reproductive health of urban Somali refugees in Nairobi is an important issue for Kenya. Projections indicate that a large number of refugees migrating into towns will become permanent urban residents. The aim of the study was to identify male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake amongst Somali refugees in East Leigh, Nairobi County Kenya. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing quantitative and qualitative approaches targeting urban Somali refugee male partners living with a woman of the reproductive age in section 11 in East Leigh. Simple random sampling technique was used to get the 255 study participants, who were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires. In addition, 2 Focused Group Discussions (FGDs) comprising 10 participants each was conducted using the FGD guide. Key informants from the health facility; 1 clinical officer and 4 FP nurses were interviewed using the Key Informant Interview (KII) questionnaire guide. The data from semi-structured questionnaires was analyzed using SPSS version 17.0 software. Descriptive statistics were generated and cross tabulation (Chi-Square test and Fischer’s exact test) was done for relationships of variables. Logistic regression was done to assess the effect of various explanatory variables on male partner involvement in contraceptive uptake. The recordings of the FGDs and KIIs were transcribed and main concepts identified. The qualitative data was triangulated with the quantitative data to enhance validity and reliability of the study. The results showed proportion of male partners involved in contraceptive uptake at 79.2%.The following factors influenced male partner involvement: Age when first started living with a woman (OR=3.46, p=0.048), Level of education(OR=3.44, p=0.003), Age(OR=2.76, p=0.044),Knowledge on available contraceptive methods (p=