CLINICAL ARTICLE Attitudes of Nigerian women toward the presence of their husband or partner as a support person during labor Victor O. Oboro ⁎, Ayodeji O. Oyeniran, Samuel E. Akinola, Adegboye I. Isawumi Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria abstract article info Article history: Received 11 May 2010 Received in revised form 17 July 2010 Accepted 8 September 2010 Keywords: Attitude Companion Labor Social support Objective: To assess the attitudes of Nigerian women regarding the presence of a husband/partner during labor. Methods: Women who were invited to participate in a randomized trial regarding companionship in labor at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria, were interviewed in a qualitative cross-sectional survey. Demographic characteristics and opinions regarding the presence of a partner/husband as a support person during labor were assessed. Results: Of the 197 women interviewed, 69 declined all forms of social companionship during labor; of the remaining 128 participants—who did not object to having a social companion—71 declined to have their husband/partner present during labor because of: personal embarrassment (28 [39.4%]); fear of loss of sexual attractiveness (19 [26.8%]); concern for their husband/partner (17 [23.9%]); and lack of privacy (15 [21.1%]). Of the 57 women whose husband/partner accompanied them during labor, 38 (66.7%) said that they would repeat the experience in subsequent labor, and 34 (59.6%) would recommend it. However, 15 (26.3%) expressed dissatisfaction. Conclusion: The issue of husband/partner companionship during labor is viewed with concern by Nigerian women, who should be allowed to make an informed decision. © 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. 1. Introduction Childbirth is one of the most stressful events in a woman's life. Therefore, an important consideration is the elimination of negative elements associated with labor and delivery. Coping strategies for childbirth include prenatal education by healthcare professionals [1–6], and recently the role of continuous support during labor has been clearly defined [1]. Cross-culturally, women have traditionally been supported during childbirth by other women, but recent evidence indicates that the acceptance of such support might be influenced by cultural and societal differences [2]. Even different midwifery service settings might affect overall satisfaction with the childbirth experience with regard to the use of continuous support in labor [1,4]. In many high-income settings (e.g. the USA and the UK), the main social support persons include close relatives [7–11], husbands/partners [3,12,13], and doulas [14–17]. In the USA, the use of social support during labor began in the 1970s, with only female companions per- mitted in the delivery room, but today family involvement—including husbands—is now the rule [18–20]. However, the potential for “the consequent dehumanization of women's birth experiences...led to calls for a return to continuous, one-to-one support by women for women during labor in certain settings” [1]. In many less-industrialized countries, including Nigeria, companionship during childbirth is not routine practice. In many Russian hospitals, at least until 2005, husbands, partners, and other support companions are not allowed in the delivery room [2]. Furthermore, social interaction during a medical process such as childbirth is viewed with concern by some Russian women; in a survey of 70 Russian women, 69% opted not to have a partner present during labor [2]. Given the wide range of cultural and societal differences in childbirth practice, the aim of the present study was to assess qualitatively the attitudes and opinions of Nigerian women regarding the presence of a husband or partner during labor and to compare the findings with those from countries in which there are different childbirth support systems (i.e. the liberal support system in the USA, and the restrictive systems in Russia and Zambia [8]). 2. Materials and methods The present study was a qualitative cross-sectional survey of women who were invited to participate in a randomized clinical trial on compan- ionship during labor at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria, from February 1 to April 30, 2010. The attitudes and opinions of women who declined the presence of a support person during labor and of those who were randomized in the clinical trial and had a support person were assessed. A support person was defined as a “non-member of the health team in care of the patient in labor, who is close to the person, such as husband, mother, sibling or friend, who the patient wants present with her in the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 112 (2011) 56–58 ⁎ Corresponding author. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Teaching Hospital, PMB 4400 Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria. Tel.: + 234 8060170565. E-mail address: oborovo@yahoo.com (V.O. Oboro). 0020-7292/$ – see front matter © 2010 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2010.07.033 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/ijgo