"When you live in good health with your husband, then your children are in good health …." A qualitative exploration of how households make healthcare decisions in Maradi and Zinder Regions, Niger.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Gender dynamics influence household-level decision-making about health behaviors and subsequent outcomes. Health and development programs in Niger are addressing gender norms through social and behavior change (SBC) approaches, yet not enough is known about how health care decisions are made and if gender-sensitive programs influence the decision-making process.

Methods

We qualitatively explored how households make decisions about family planning, child health, and nutrition in the Maradi and Zinder regions, Niger, within the context of a multi-sectoral integrated SBC program. We conducted 40 in-depth interviews with married women (n = 20) and men (n = 20) between 18 and 61 years of age.

Results

Male heads of household were central in health decisions, yet

SUBMITTER: Chace Dwyer S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9283840 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature