Table 1

Characteristics of labour companionship by country (N=2672)*

GhanaGuineaMyanmarNigeriaTotal
n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)n (%)
Total number of women with labour companion present at any point during care at the facility395 (47.3)82 (12.7)629 (99.7)240 (42.8)1346 (50.4)
Total number of women with labour companion absent at any point during care at the facility437 (52.3)560 (86.9)1 (0.16)320 (57.0)1318 (49.3)
Unknown4 (0.5)2 (0.2)1 (0.2)1 (0.2)8 (0.3)
Timing of support (mutually exclusive categories) (N=1346)
 Labour only45 (11.4)9 (10.9)2 (0.32)15 (6.3)71 (5.3)
 Childbirth only5 (1.3)1 (1.2)1 (0.16)4 (1.7)11 (0.8)
 After childbirth only138 (34.9)36 (43.9)2 (0.3)18 (7.5)194 (14.4)
 During labour and childbirth27 (6.8)1 (1.2)46 (7.3)22 (9.2)96 (7.1)
 Labour and after childbirth105 (26.6)27 (32.9)432 (68.7)103 (42.9)667 (49.6)
 During childbirth and after childbirth20 (5.1)6 (7.3)19 (3.0)8 (3.3)53 (3.9)
 Labour, childbirth and after childbirth54 (13.7)2 (2.2)126 (20.0)70 (29.2)252 (18.7)
 Unknown1 (0.3)01 (0.16)02 (0.15)
Labour companion (mutually exclusive categories) (N=1346)
 Male partner only151 (38.2)4 (4.9)41 (6.5)115 (47.9)311 (23.1)
 Family member only151 (38.2)72 (87.8)338 (53.7)71 (29.6)632 (47.0)
 Both (male partner and family member)76 (19.2)3 (3.7)203 (32.3)35 (14.6)317 (23.6)
 Other (friend(s)), doula(s), traditional birth attendants)17 (4.3)3 (3.7)47 (7.5)19 (7.9)86 (6.4)
  • *Overall sample: N=2672. Ghana: 836 (31.3%), Guinea: 644 (24.1%), Myanmar: 631 (23.6%), Nigeria: 561 (21.0%).