The Effect of “Moi Kintal”-Based Counselling on Husbands’ Knowledge and Actions, and Birth Outcomes: A Quasi-Experiment in Ambon, Indonesia

Antenatal counselling is one of the 10 standard antenatal care (ANC) services in Indonesia, but the husbands are not involved in the counselling. The husbands’ lack of knowledge and actions during pregnancy care could have an impact on birth outcomes, so it is necessary to involve them in ANC. However, the Husbands’ role in ANC is important because they are decision-makers. This study aimed to examine the effect of counselling based on “Moi Kintal” on the husbands’ knowledge and actions during pregnancy, and the impact on birth outcomes. The quasi-experimental study was implemented in four community health centres from August to November 2023 in Ambon, Maluku Province, Indonesia. The purposive sampling method based on established criteria was used in the study and a total of 60 husbands of pregnant women in the third trimester (30 interventions and 30 controls) were included in the analysis. The Chi-squared test, paired sample t-test and analysis of covariance were used to compare the variables in the two groups. The study results showed the effect of counselling based on “Moi Kintal” on the husbands’ knowledge (p = 0.000) and actions (p = 0.005) during pregnancy, and the impact on birth outcomes (p = 0.038). The Chi-squared test showed that decision-making as a confounding variable had a significant impact on birth outcomes (p = 0.033). Thus, the study concluded that ”Moi Kintal”-based counselling is effective in improving the husbands’ involvement in ANC. Therefore, the ”Moi Kintal”-based counselling model can be used widely in health facilities to help decrease adverse birth outcomes.