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Objective(s): To assess fathers’ educational needs to improve their involvement in perinatal care.
Methods: This was a cross sectional study on 800 participants including 400 women seeking perinatal care and 400 men who were accopaninng their women in the the selected perinatal services of Shahid Beheshti medical science hospitals. They were recruited using nonrandomized quota sampling method. A questionnaire was used including sections of demographic, fathers’ educational needs and their attitude assessment scale. The questionnaire was filled up by interview and its validity and reliability was assessed before use. Data was analysed by SPSS 16 and using T test, ANOVA, Tukey tests with 95% confidence interval.
Results: 800 men and woen with average age of 28.32±5.51 participated in the study. It was demonstrated that more than 95% of participants were agree with statements of “perinatal care and education are necessary for future mothers and fathers both” and “pregnant mothers needs more emotional support”. The required content was “signs of risks during prenatal and postpartum period and mothers nutrition” respectively. Majority of participants prefer face to face couples’ counseling method, home and then health center as the best place, evening and vacations as the best time. Majority mentioned premarriage classes as the best time for the initiation. There was no significant difference between the attitude score of different age groups of participants (P=0.267) but there was a significant difference between attitude scores of illiterate participants with others (P=0.036).
Conclusion: Promotion of male involvement in perinatal care needs reorientation of care system and rebuilding that to “family friendy Services” and fathers’ education about the emotional support of wives, pregnancy risk assessment, and maternal nutrition, with face to face couples’ counseling method using self-educational media and counseling with male physicians for special needs. Education about male participation in reproductive health should be initiated from adolescens and education about perinatal care participation should be started from premarriage classes and should be provided with more details in perinatal period according to the time of pregnancy.
