Gender Analysis of Decision Making on Maternal Health Care among Rural Farmers in Southwestern Nigeria: Implications for Food Security
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Safe childbirth is crucial to farmers’ productivity and food security as farm labour plays a pivotal role for farming in
most rural communities. Analysing gender roles on maternal health care (MHC) decision is of major concern in ensuring
safe motherhood and poverty reduction in rural homes. Therefore, this study analysed gender concerns of MHC among
rural farmers. Multistage sampling procedure was used to select 124 respondents for the study; data were collected using
structured interview schedule, Focus Group Discussion, descriptive and inferential statistics. Respondents (χ = 29 years)
were in their youthful and procreating stage with average family size of 4 members. Husbands (64.5%) mainly decided the
MHC utilised for childbirth. More females (54.8%) belonged to cooperative society. About (56.5%) of males and females
(53.2%), respectively were crop producers having average monthly earning of #19,000. Most predicating factors to MHC
decision were family tradition ( χ= 2.21) and social capital (χ = 2.18). Males (61.3%) had high level of MHC decision
unlike the females (54.8%) with low contribution to MHC decision. Monthly income (r=0.521), responsibility for decision
making (r=0.668) were significantly related to respondents decision on MHC. There was a significant difference in the
level of decision making between males and females (t=5.28, df =31). Hence, it is recommended that non-governmental
organisation should collaborate with the government to aggressively sensitise rural communities on safe motherhood and
men should sufficiently empower women to contribute and participate actively in decisions on maternal health care in rural
families for sustainable food production and supply.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Authors hold the copyright of all published articles except otherwise stated.
References
and Pate, M. A. (2012). The midwives service
scheme in Nigeria. PLoS Med, 9 (5):459–477.
Adamu, Y.M. and Salihu, H.M. (2002). Barriers to
use of antenatal and obstetric care services in
rural Kano, Nigeria. Journal of Obstetrics and
Gynecology, 22(6):600–603.
Amaza, P.S, Kwagbe, P.V. and Amos, A.A (1999).
Analysis of women participation in agricultural
cooperatives: Case Study of Borno State, Nigeria.
Annals of Borno 15 (16):187-196.
Awotide, A.B., Diagne, A., Awoyemi, T.T. and
Ojehomon, V.E.T. (2011). Household endowments
and poverty reduction in rural Nigeria: Evidence
from rice farming households. Agricultural
Journal, 6(5): 274-284.
Babatunde, R.O. (2008). Income inequality in rural
Nigeria: Evidence from farming households survey
data. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied
Sciences 2(1): 134-140.
Conde-Agudelo A., Belizan, J.M and Lammers C
(2004). Maternal perinatal morbidity and mortality
associated with adolescent pregnancy in Latin
America: Cross-sectional study. American Journal
of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 192:342–349.
Etuk, U.R. Olatunji, S.O. and Ekong, I. (2013). Analysis
of health needs on self-medication among rural
farmers in Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria. Nigerian
Journal of Agriculture, Food and Environment, 9
(1): 63-66.
Franklin, S. (2007). Gender Inequality in Nigeria.
Taking IT Global ONLINE Publication, 31 May,
2007.
Hassan, C., Olawoye, J. and Nnadozie. K. (2002).
Impact of International Trade and Multinational
Corporations on the Environment and Sustainable
Livelihoods of Rural Women in Akwa-Ibom
State, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria. http://www.
csae.ox.ac.uk/conferences/2000-OiA/pdfpapers/
olaniyan-95.PDF
Harande, Y.I. (2009). Information Services for Rural
Community Development in Nigeria. Library
Philosophy and Practice (e-journal). Paper
271. Available at http://www.webpages.uidaho.
edu/~mbolin/harande.htm.
International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD). (2011). Rural poverty in Nigeria.
available at http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/
web/guest/country/home/tags/nigeria.
Kehinde, E.A., Tologbonse, E.B., Adeniji, O.B.,
Yemison, G.H. and Tologbonse, O.M. (2014).
Assessment of women involvement in agricultural
activities in Kuje and Abuja Municipal Area
Councils of Federal Capital Territory, Abuja,
Nigeria. Nigerian Journal of Rural Sociology, 15
(1): 28-37.
Nnadi, S. E. (2008). The Impact of Globalization on
the Nigerian Economy, Minneapolis, Minnesota:
Walden University, Dissertation; available at:
http://gradworks.umi.com/33/36/3336742.html
Nnadi, F.N., Chikaire, J., Atoma, C.N., Egwuonwu,
H.A. and Echetama, J.A. (2012) ICT for Agriculture knowledge management in Nigeria:
Lessons and strategies for improvement. Science
Journal of Agricultural Research and Management,
6 (2):192-200.
Omobuwa, O., Asekun-Olarinmoye, E. O. and Olajide,
F.O. (2012). Knowledge and perception
of reproductive health services among in-school
adolescents in Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria. Journal
of Medicine and Medical Sciences, 3 (7): 481-488
Omotosho, O (2010). Health seeking behaviour
among the rural dwellers in Ekiti State, Nigeria.
International Journal of Multi-Disciplinary, 4 (3):
125-138.
Ogunlela, Y.I. and Mukhta, A.A. (2009). Gender
Issues in Agriculture and Rural Development
in Nigeria: The Role of women. Humanity and
Social Sciences Journal, 4(1): 19-30.
Okten, C., and Osili, U. O. (2004). Social networks and
credit access in Indonesia. World Development, 32
(1):1225 -1246.
O’Rourke, K.H. (1998). Impact of community
organization of women on perinatal outcomes in
rural Bolivia. Revista Panamericana de Salud
Pública, 3(1):9-14.
Soetan, R.O. (2001). Culture, Gender and Development:
A Report Submitted to the African Institute for
Economic Development and Planning (IDEP),
Dakar, Senegal, October 2001.
Ugwoke, F.O., Nnadi, F.N., Anaeto, C.F., Aja, O.O and
Nwakwasi, R.N. (2012). Crop farmers’ perception
of and adaptation to climate change in Orlu
Agricultural Zone of Imo state, Nigeria. Journal of
Agricultural Extension, 16 (2): 217-217.
United Nations (2010). The World’s Women 2010:
Trends and Statistics. Department of Economic
and Social Affairs. ST/ESA/STAT/SER.K/19. New
York: United Nations: Pp.156-168.
World Bank (2003) Nigeria: Risk and Vulnerability
Assessment Draft report, Abuja.
World Health Organization (2003). Advancing Safe
Motherhood through Human Rights. W o r l d
Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland, WHO.
The World Health Report: make every mother and
child count. World Health Organization, Geneva,
2003.