Male involvement in family planning in Krachi-Nchumuru District, Volta Region, Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Background Family planning has been predominantly associated with women in Sub Saharan Africa but, over the past few years, there has been an increasing focus on including men in an attempt to achieve better health outcomes for families. Despite these efforts, contraceptive use remains low in many high fertility countries, including Ghana. Men’s role in reproductive decision-making remains an important but neglected part of understanding fertility control in high- and low-income countries. This study examined the factors that contribute to low male involvement in reproductive health services in Krachi-Nchumuru District, a rural region of Ghana. Methods A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out among 164 men, aged between 20-59 years (considered to be representative of reproductive age), in three local communities in Krachi-Nchumuru District, Volta Region of Ghana. The target communities were Chinderi, Zongo Macheri and Kornado. Study participants were randomly selected based on their availability at the time of data collection. Data was analysed using SPSS version 22.0. Results The majority (39.6%) of participants were between 20 and 29 years of age; 28% were aged 30–39; 20.7% were aged 40–49 and 11.6% were 50– 59 years of age. Most (69.6%) of the respondents had some formal education (basic, secondary or tertiary) while 30.4% participants had no formal education. Christianity was the most commonly followed religion (46.3% of the study participants). Just over two thirds (68%) of the respondents had some knowledge of family planning, with 37% reporting the source of their knowledge to be health facilities. Nearly all of the respondents (94%) who reported knowledge of family planning had discussed this with their partners. About half (49%) of all respondents said they had never used any form of family planning methods however, with half (50%) of these attributing their non-usage to religion, while the rest (50%) cited cultural taboos, cost and distance to health facilities as the main barriers. Conclusion Despite the increasing knowledge and availability of family planning services in rural Ghana, utilization of these services remains low among the men surveyed in this study. Sociocultural factors, including religious objections, are mostly responsible for non-patronage. Involving men in reproductive health decision-making and providing adequate support to families can enhance utilization of these services. This will help to achieve safe motherhood and improve the overall wellbeing of individuals, families and their communities.