A study of husbands attending antenatal appointments in Ethiopia found that 62% of fathers did so – half of these just one appointment, and the other half more than once. The researchers found two predictors of non-attendance. 30-39 year olds were 1.9x more likely not to attend than 20-29 year olds. Those with only school education were 3.1x more likely not to attend than those with higher education.

The researchers recommend education for fathers on the benefits of attending appointments.

Shine S et al. (2020), Magnitude and associated factors of husband involvement on antenatal care follow up in Debre Berhan town, Ethiopia 2016: a cross sectional study, BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 20

Header photo: UNICEF. Creative Commons.