Male participation in childcare and development: A case study of reproductive responsibilities of men in Ibadan SouthWest Local Government, Oyo State

Abstract

The central role of African men in families has not influenced their involvement in some household issues, which have direct bearing on child’s development. This study aimed to investigate the level of male participation in childcare practices at household level. A descriptive study was conducted among 622 men randomly selected from urban communities, using focus group discussions and combination of indicators from Child Survival Strategies and UNICEF Conceptual Framework on malnutrition to develop a rating scale. Data were analyzed using thematic approach for qualitative and descriptive statistics and Chi-square at 5% level of significance for quantitative data. Focus group discussions revealed that culture and societal expectations play significant roles in determining level of male participation in childcare. The quantitative data showed that variables including level of education, religion and age of men at marriage were significantly related to male participation in childcare at p<0.05, while level of income was not. Also, 458 (73.6%) men scored below 50% level of participation in childcare and only 136 (21.9%) scored above this. Many men were found to be inadequately equipped in childcare practices. It is suggested that sensitization programmes should be organized for men to improve their level of participation in childcare.