Objective: To identify and compare the health service-related factors associated with male involvement in family planning services among the rural and urban areas in Abia State, Nigeria.
Design: A community-based cross-sectional study.
Setting: Twelve communities (six urban and six rural) in Abia State, Nigeria.
Participants: Five hundred and eighty-eight (588) men aged 15-59 years and resident in the study area 6 months before the study were recruited.
Main outcome measure: Male involvement in family planning services.
Results: The mean ages of the respondents were 41.8±8.0 years and 43.1±8.0 years in the urban and rural areas, respectively. Active male involvement in family planning services was significantly higher in urban areas (62.6%, 95%CI: 56.8%-68.1%) compared to the rural areas (47.6%, 95%CI: 41.5%-53.2%. p<0.001). The predictors of male involvement included gender preference of healthcare workers (aOR=1.75, 95%CI:1.01-3.03) and attitude of the healthcare workers (aOR=2.07, 95%CI:1.17-3.67) among the urban participants, compared to occupational status of the respondents (aOR=2.50, 95% CI: 1.16-5.56) and the availability of male-friendly clinics (aOR=2.27, 95%CI:1.25-4.15) among the rural participants.
Conclusion: Health service-related factors associated with male involvement varied between the urban and rural settings. Stakeholders should target addressing health service-related factors by types of settlement while designing family planning programs targeting men.
Funding: No funding was obtained for this study.
Keywords: Male involvement; determinants; family planning services; health service factors; rural and urban populations.
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