Male Partner Involvement in Child Feeding and Associated Factors Among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Hawassa City, Sidama Region, Southern Ethiopia: A Community Based Cross Sectional Study

Suboptimal child feeding practices significantly contribute to malnutrition. While maternal involvement in feeding children aged 6-23 months is well-documented, evidence on male partner engagement remains limited. This study aimed to assess male partner involvement in child feeding and identify associated factors in Hawassa City, Sidama Region. A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted from February 1-30, 2024, among 422 male partners with children aged 6-23 months. Participants were selected using systematic sampling. Data were collected via structured, pretested, interviewer-administered questionnaires. Data analysis was done using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 26. Associated factors of male involvement in child feeding were identified using a logistic regression model, and the outputs were presented using adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The prevalence of good male partner involvement was 68.7% (95% CI: 64.7-72.7). Factors significantly associated with involvement included: age ≤ 25 years (AOR = 2.32, 95% CI: 1.07-5.31), age 26-35 years (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.39-4.09), no formal education (AOR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.14-0.59), child age 6-11 months (AOR = 1.94, 95% CI: 1.13-3.32), good knowledge (AOR = 2.14, 95% CI: 1.26-3.64), positive attitude (AOR = 2.66, 95% CI: 1.55-4.56), and belief in community gender-specific role norms (AOR = 0.41, 95% CI: 0.24-0.69). Male partner involvement in child feeding was relatively high in Hawassa City. Younger age, lack of formal education, child age, good knowledge, positive attitudes, and gender norms were significant factors. Enhancing knowledge, attitudes, and addressing gender norms could further improve male engagement in child feeding.