MALE INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION MAKING FOR SKILLED BIRTH CARE UTILIZATION IN HEALTH FACILITIES IN EGOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Background: Skilled birth care is important for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality, yet its utilisation remains suboptimal in many low- and middle-income settings. In sub–Saharan Africa, where maternal deaths are highest, men play a key role in household decision-making, including access to maternal healthcare. Although male involvement has been linked to improved use of skilled services, gaps persist between knowledge, attitudes, and actual engagement due to sociocultural and financial constraints. Understanding these dynamics is essential for improving maternal health outcomes. Objective: This study assessed the knowledge, attitude, level of involvement, and factors influencing decision-making regarding the utilisation of skilled birth care among male partners in Egor Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2025 and April 2026 among 512 adult male partners residing in Egor Local Government Area, whose wives or partners were currently pregnant or had previously delivered. Participants were selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire and analysed with IBM SPSS version 27.0 using descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 44.8 ± 9.8 years. Most were married, 483 (94.3%), in monogamous unions, 495 (96.7%), lived in nuclear families, 444 (86.7%), and were in the high socioeconomic class, 364 (71.1%). Household size was ≥5 in 334 (65.2%). Most had good knowledge of skilled birth care, 480 (93.8%), with no significant predictors (p > 0.05). Positive attitude was reported by 207 (40.4%), with significant associations for age (p < 0.001), family setting (p = 0.001), household size (p < 0.001), and socioeconomic status (p = 0.008). Involvement was high in 502 (98.0%), with no significant predictors (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Knowledge and involvement in skilled birth care were high, but positive attitudes remained limited and were influenced by household and socioeconomic factors. Decision making was largely shaped by financial, accessibility, and sociocultural constraints. To improve utilisation and maternal health outcomes, interventions must expand health insurance and subsidised maternity services, strengthen transport and referral systems, institutionalise respectful high- quality facility care, and engage household decision- makers through community- based education