Search

Parenting practices and parent-child relationship quality, shaped in part by parenting cognitions and beliefs, have a strong proximal contribution to the course and outcome of children’s development from early in the lifespan. However, much existent empirical knowledge about parenting comes from studies of White middle-class mothers and children, and there is far less evidence from racially, ethnically, and economically diverse families – especially from fathers. Through a collection of three interrelated studies, the present dissertation contributes to this literature with an examination of fathers’ parenting motivations, and mothers’ and fathers’ independent and interactive influences on child and adolescent socioemotional outcomes among diverse families. Empirical Paper 1 qualitatively explored what motivated first-time Latino fathers in the U.S. to be good parents for their infants, and examined differences in their motivations by nativity status. Fathers described five primary themes, with variation by nativity,in their parenting motivations: 1) personal rearing history, 2) desire to rear a well-adjusted child, 3) relationship with their child, 4) intrinsic motivations, and 5) sense of duty and responsibility. Empirical Paper 2 examined associations between mothers’ and fathers’ quality of play (i.e., challenging parenting behaviors, playfulness) at 18 months and toddlers’ social competence at 24 months, and tested whether child negative emotional temperament moderated these associations. Contrary to hypotheses, there were no significant associations between mothers’ or fathers’ two types of play and children’s social competence, and no significant moderation effects by negative emotionality. Empirical Paper 3 examined the interactive effects of adolescents’ level of support in their relationships with mothers, fathers, and best friends in the 8th grade and associations with depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and externalizing problems in the 9th grade, as

Parental reflective functioning (PRF) is considered a key parental competence. Since most research on PRF has focused on infancy or the first years of life, there is a gap in our understanding of PRF among parents of older children. Therefore, we investigated PRF in mothers and fathers with preschool-aged children, examining associations between PRF, parent's romantic attachment, and observed parenting behavior. The sample comprised 50 mothers, 40 fathers, and their 5-year-old children. PRF was assessed using the parental reflective functioning questionnaire (PRFQ), parental romantic attachment was assessed using the experiences in close relationships scale-revised (ECR-R), and parenting behavior was assessed during a parent–child free-play interaction with the coding interactive behavior (CIB) coding system. Results showed that mothers scored higher on the interest and curiosity scale than fathers, indicating that mothers show a more active interest and curiosity in their child's mental states. Further, higher levels of attachment anxiety in fathers were associated with higher levels of pre-mentalizing modes. In mothers, higher levels of attachment avoidance were associated with lower levels of interest and curiosity. Finally, and unexpectedly, higher levels of interest and curiosity in mothers were associated with less sensitivity during free play. In summary, the study found meaningful associations between mothers' and fathers' romantic attachment and their PRF indicating a spill-over of their attachment strategies into their relationship with their child. Further, the study results suggest that very high levels of interest and curiosity in mothers reflect hypermentalizing.

This paper addresses an under-explored area of sociologically oriented health research, namely, the mental health and physical activity (PA) experiences of new fathers. Drawing upon responses to an online qualitative survey from 32 fathers, aged 18 or over, and living in the UK, we show how the decline in these fathers’ overall PA was associated with poor mental health and the changing constraints that characterised their increasingly complex networks of interdependence. These constraints corresponded with shifts in fathers’ PA engagement from team sports towards individualised, flexible, and more recreationally oriented lifestyle activities like running and the gym. Fathers’ engagement in these activities appeared to exacerbate the complex feelings of guilt and isolation that they already encountered as new fathers. These experiences were simultaneously associated with feelings of shame associated with being insufficiently active and fearing judgement about their engagement in fathering responsibilities. The paper has important policy implications, highlighting the need for tailored support for new fathers in the perinatal period, and implications for practice, suggesting that co-produced community-based PA programmes are potentially effective settings for engaging new fathers in PA and promoting their mental health.

This study investigates how Chinese parents’ narratives about the father’s and the mother’s influence on child development reveal their gender beliefs and socialization goals. Drawing on interviews of 62 father-mother pairs from a mixed-method longitudinal study in Nanjing, China, we found that contrary to the assumption that parents of both genders benefit children’s development in their respective, gender-typical ways in extant literature, our participants believed that mothers as executor of ‘trivial’ childrearing tasks provide few positive influences than fathers who steer the ‘broad’ directions of child development and cultivation of male traits. Parents emphasized the importance of instilling masculinity in both boys and girls, which differs from the valuation of mothers’ same-gender role modeling for daughters in Western-based studies. Yet underneath the father’s ‘masculine’ influences are concerns about children’s ability to meet increasingly rigid and narrow standards for masculinity in today’s China, which imposes pressure on mothers, fathers, and sons.

Newborn infants exhibit a profound dependency on their primary caregivers to meet their essential needs, which is critical for both development and survival. The World Health Organization’s guideline Early Childhood Development underscores the necessity of responsive care during the early years. When individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) become parents, unique challenges may arise, resulting in precarious situations. Thus, both parents and children must receive adequate support from healthcare systems and society. The primary objective of this thesis was to improve perinatal support for both parents and children, particularly for those with ID. In Paper I, a population-based cohort study involving over 600,000 children revealed that those born to mothers with ID face a significantly higher risk of mental illness, injuries, and violence compared to peers born to mothers without ID. Paper II employed focus groups in a qualitative study, highlighting that staff working with individuals with ID find discussions about reproductive health and childbirth particularly challenging. They expressed a need for additional support in addressing issues related to sexual and reproductive health rights. Paper III conducted a psychometric analysis of the Baby Care Questionnaire in Swedish, indicating that the instrument required revision for optimal fit before use. Paper IV explored whether an educational programme for healthcare professionals, coupled with comprehensive parental education, could enhance the duration of skin-to-skin contact (SSC). The results demonstrated that the quasi-experimental intervention effectively increased the SSC provided by parents. The thesis highlights that children of mothers with ID and individuals with ID require additional support and resources. Also, the thesis illustrates that healthcare professionals can influence the behaviour of new parents and thereby increase the frequency of SSC, which offers significant benefits.

The aim of this mixed-method study was to identify support needs, as well as barriers and facilitators to seeking support in a sample of Swedish fathers with a fear of childbirth (FOC). Participants completed an anonymous quantitative online survey (N = 131), with three free-text items for those self-identifying as having an FOC (N = 71) and five individual in-depth interviews. Data analysis included descriptive and chi-square analyses for quantitative data, and manifest content analysis for qualitative data. Those with a severe FOC were more likely to report having on-going mental health difficulties (p = .039) and one fifth (21%) of the participants with severe FOC wanted to receive professional treatment, but only 8.1% received treatment. Most participants either preferred individual support or to receive support together with their partner. Fathers with severe FOC were more likely to report one or more barriers than those without FOC (p = .005), where unwanted social stigma was the single largest barrier. Qualitative findings identified one main category: Expectant fathers missing and wishing for support for FOC composed four generic categories: (1) support in developing an understanding of their fear, (2) coping by being aware of feelings, (3) professional support through trust and respect, and (4) needing individualized support. To encourage healthy fathers, clinical professionals should find ways to support fathers, such as by providing them with their own perinatal appointments, asking them about their feelings, as well as screening, diagnosing, and treating fathers with severe FOC.

PurposePast research shows that parentally responsive behavior toward the child positively influences language development in both neurotypical children and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including those with fragile X syndrome (FXS); however, most studies have focused exclusively on the mother-child relationship. The current study examined relationships between parent behavior (i.e., responsivity and behavior management) and child language performance in both mother-child and father-child interactions, as well as relationships between child characteristics and both parent behavior and child language.MethodParticipants were 23 families of young boys with FXS between 3 and 7 years of age. Mothers and fathers independently completed questionnaires assessing child characteristics and separately engaged in 12-min play-based interactions with their child via telehealth. One parent also completed a comprehensive interview assessing child adaptive behavior. Video recordings of the parent-child interactions were transcribed and coded for parent and child behavior, and measures of parent and child language were obtained from the transcripts.ResultsMothers and fathers used similar rates of responsive behaviors during parent-child interactions, and parental responsivity was positively associated with some aspects of child language performance (i.e., talkativeness and lexical diversity). Parental behavior, however, was not associated with syntactic complexity. Older children and children with higher levels of adaptive behavior had parents who used higher rates of responsive behaviors. Fathers used higher rates of behavior management strategies compared to mothers, and this type of parent behavior was not associated with child language.ConclusionOverall, this study provides evidence that interventions focused on increasing parental responsiveness would be beneficial for families of children with FXS and that these interventions should be delivered ear

This study aims to explore the relationships between parental math anxiety, its role in supporting their children's learning process, and the subsequent impact on the academic performance of Compulsory Secondary Education students in the field of mathematics. The research involved 845 students and 1436 parents. Through path analysis, the results confirmed the mediation of parental learning support between their math anxiety and their children's end-of-course Mathematics grade., Este estudo tem como objetivo explorar as relações entre a ansiedade matemática vivida pelos pais, o seu papel no apoio ao processo de aprendizagem dos filhos e o consequente impacto no desempenho académico dos alunos do Ensino Secundário Obrigatório na área da matemática. Participaram 845 alunos e 1436 pais. os resultados confirmaram a mediação da variável apoio parental à aprendizagem entre a ansiedade matemática dos pais e as notas de matemática dos filhos no final do ano letivo., Este estudio tiene como objetivo explorar las relaciones entre la ansiedad matemática experimentada por los progenitores, su rol en el apoyo al proceso de aprendizaje de sus hijos y el consiguiente impacto en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria en el campo de las matemáticas. Se contó con 845 estudiantes y 1436 progenitores. A través de un “path análisis” los resultados confirmaron la mediación de la variable parental apoyo al aprendizaje entre la ansiedad matemática de los progenitores y la calificación en Matemáticas a final de curso de sus hijos.

This proposed study will be to look at the phenomenon of estrangement framed in the family system theory through a Biblical lens. The qualitative interpretive approach will look at a minimum of ten individuals who have been or are currently experiencing the outcomes of familial estrangement that occurred between fathers and their adult children. This destructive phenomenon has been found to increase the risk of negative mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, chronic stress, feelings of grief, and loss for those within the family unit. The growing number of parent-adult-child estrangements highlights the need to study the lived experiences of those within the family experiencing its effects. Literature notes the negative and positive attributions of the estrangement evolution in which one member of the family has voluntarily exited the once-thought non-voluntary relationship within the family system. Contained within those decisions to exit the relationship lies many factors; some are perceived to be so life-altering that they justify a departure from the family unit. Literature supports that this socially situated phenomenon has multiple challenges and long-reaching effects that transcend through the life course of the dyad. The study aims to consider the long-lasting effect, if any, the estrangement has on the dyadic attachment.

Newborn infants exhibit a profound dependency on their primary caregivers to meet their essential needs, which is critical for both development and survival. The World Health Organization’s guideline Early Childhood Development underscores the necessity of responsive care during the early years. When individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) become parents, unique challenges may arise, resulting in precarious situations. Thus, both parents and children must receive adequate support from healthcare systems and society. The primary objective of this thesis was to improve perinatal support for both parents and children, particularly for those with ID. In Paper I, a population-based cohort study involving over 600,000 children revealed that those born to mothers with ID face a significantly higher risk of mental illness, injuries, and violence compared to peers born to mothers without ID. Paper II employed focus groups in a qualitative study, highlighting that staff working with individuals with ID find discussions about reproductive health and childbirth particularly challenging. They expressed a need for additional support in addressing issues related to sexual and reproductive health rights. Paper III conducted a psychometric analysis of the Baby Care Questionnaire in Swedish, indicating that the instrument required revision for optimal fit before use. Paper IV explored whether an educational programme for healthcare professionals, coupled with comprehensive parental education, could enhance the duration of skin-to-skin contact (SSC). The results demonstrated that the quasi-experimental intervention effectively increased the SSC provided by parents. The thesis highlights that children of mothers with ID and individuals with ID require additional support and resources. Also, the thesis illustrates that healthcare professionals can influence the behaviour of new parents and thereby increase the frequency of SSC, which offers significant benefits.

This study aims to explore the relationships between parental math anxiety, its role in supporting their children's learning process, and the subsequent impact on the academic performance of Compulsory Secondary Education students in the field of mathematics. The research involved 845 students and 1436 parents. Through path analysis, the results confirmed the mediation of parental learning support between their math anxiety and their children's end-of-course Mathematics grade., Este estudo tem como objetivo explorar as relações entre a ansiedade matemática vivida pelos pais, o seu papel no apoio ao processo de aprendizagem dos filhos e o consequente impacto no desempenho académico dos alunos do Ensino Secundário Obrigatório na área da matemática. Participaram 845 alunos e 1436 pais. os resultados confirmaram a mediação da variável apoio parental à aprendizagem entre a ansiedade matemática dos pais e as notas de matemática dos filhos no final do ano letivo., Este estudio tiene como objetivo explorar las relaciones entre la ansiedad matemática experimentada por los progenitores, su rol en el apoyo al proceso de aprendizaje de sus hijos y el consiguiente impacto en el rendimiento académico de los estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria en el campo de las matemáticas. Se contó con 845 estudiantes y 1436 progenitores. A través de un “path análisis” los resultados confirmaron la mediación de la variable parental apoyo al aprendizaje entre la ansiedad matemática de los progenitores y la calificación en Matemáticas a final de curso de sus hijos.

Background and Aims: Fathers' parental leave has been associated with decreased risks of alcohol-related hospitalizations and mortality. Whether this is attributable to the health protections of parental leave itself (through stress reduction or behavioral changes) or to selection into leave uptake remains unclear, given that fathers are more likely to use leave if they are in better health. Using the quasi-experimental variation of a reform incentivizing fathers' leave uptake (the 1995 Father's quota reform), this study aimed to assess whether fathers' parental leave influences alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Design: Quasi-experimental interrupted time series and instrumental variable analyses. Setting: Sweden. Participants: Fathers of singleton children born from January 1992 to December 1997 (n = 220 412). Measurements: Exposure was indicated by the child's birthdate before or after the reform and used to instrument fathers' 2- and 8-year parental leave uptake. Outcomes included fathers' hospitalization rates for acute alcohol-related (intoxication; mental and behavioral disorders) and chronic alcohol-related diagnoses (cardiovascular, stomach and other diseases; liver diseases), as well as alcohol-related mortality, up to 2, 8 and 18 years after the first child's birthdate. Findings: In interrupted time series analyses, fathers of children born after the reform exhibited immediate decreases in alcohol-related hospitalization rates up to 2 (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.66, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.51–0.87), 8 (IRR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.57–0.96) and 18 years after birth (IRR = 0.72, 95% CI = 0.54–0.96), particularly in acute alcohol-related hospitalization rates, compared with those with children born before. No changes were found for alcohol-related mortality. Instrumental variable results suggest that alcohol-related hospitalization decreases were driven by fathers' parental leave uptake (e.g. 2-year hospitalizations: IRR = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.03–0.

Increased father–infant physical contact may promote early paternal caregiving. This randomized controlled trial, preregistered on https://osf.io/qwe3a, tested the effects of a soft baby carrier intervention on fathers’ parenting behavior and hormonal levels. Eighty first-time fathers of 2- to 4-month-old infants were randomly assigned to a baby carrier intervention group (n = 41 fathers) or a control group receiving an infant seat (n = 39 fathers). Fathers were instructed to use the baby carrier or seat for 3 weeks. Fathers’ sensitive parenting behavior, involvement, salivary oxytocin and cortisol basal levels and reactivity to interacting with the infant were assessed at pre-test (on average 2 weeks before the intervention) and at post-test (on average 1 week after the intervention period ended). The results showed that the intervention did not enhance fathers’ sensitive parenting or involvement. Involvement operationalized as hours spent with the infant decreased over time for fathers in the carrier condition compared to fathers in the control condition. The baby carrier intervention had no effect on fathers’ basal oxytocin or cortisol levels, nor did it affect fathers’ oxytocin or cortisol reactivity to interacting with their infant. Our findings indicate that 3 weeks of using a baby carrier does not have immediate beneficial effects on fathers’ parenting behavior or hormonal functioning as assessed here. Future research may examine whether infant carrying has beneficial effects on the longer term or in different groups of fathers, and how fathers’ infant carrying affects their infants., This work was supported by a European Research Council grant (AdG 669249, 2015) awarded to M.J.B.-K. and a Spinoza grant (Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research) awarded to M.H.v.I.J.

I argue that in the early twentieth-century Netherlands, fathers regularly attended the birth of their children, and that this attendance was generally accepted or even encouraged by doctors. My findings contrast with existing historiography on the Anglo-Saxon countries, where, at the time, fathers were usually not present at births. I explain this difference between the Netherlands and the Anglo-Saxon countries through the ideal of the harmonious family that permeated Dutch society at the time. I show how birth was seen as a family event, in which the father should be emotionally involved. Men had to manage this emotional involvement carefully: they had to display emotions without losing control of these emotions. My findings show that we need to study doctor-led births in order to fully understand the slow rise of hospital births in the Netherlands.

Multiple adjustment difficulties have been associated with childrens exposure to recent parental wartime military deployments, but long-term consequences have not yet been systematically studied. This investigation will assess direct and indirect relationships between exposures to parental deployments early in life and later youth adjustment. Parents psychological health and family processes will be examined as mediators, and parents and childrens vulnerability and support will be examined as moderators. Archival data will be combined with new data gathered from two children and up to two parents in families where children will be aged 11 to 16 at the first data collection and will have experienced at least one parental deployment, for at least one child prior to age 6. Data are being gathered via telephone interviews and web-based surveys conducted twice one year apart. Outcomes are indicators of childrens social-emotional development, behavior, and academic performance. Notable features of this study include oversampling of female service members, inclusion of siblings, and inclusion of families of both veterans and currently serving members. This study has potentially important implications for schools, community organizations and health care providers serving current and future cohorts of military and veteran families.

Objective: To assess if received professional and social support are associated with father-infant bonding among primiparous (first-time) and multiparous (multi-time) fathers. Background: Early father-infant bonding predicts several positive child outcomes. However, while received professional and social support positively impacts fathers’ transition into parenthood, little research has tested if these factors are associated with a stronger father-infant bond. Methods: In total, 499 fathers (296 primiparous and 203 multiparous) of infants (aged 0–12 months) completed a cross-sectional online survey between November 2018 and March 2020. The survey included items related to socio-demographics, having a planned pregnancy, postnatal midwifery support, child health nurse support, child health center attendance, and social support. The parent-infant bonding questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the father-infant bond. Multiple linear regression models were estimated for the total sample and based on paternal parity. Missing data were managed through multiple imputation procedures. Findings: Fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances if they received support from their partners, postnatal midwives, child health nurses, and attended more child health visits. Primiparous fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances when receiving support from their partners, postnatal midwives, and the child health nurse. However, multiparous fathers had more bonding disturbances than primiparous fathers and received less professional and partner support. Conclusions: Receiving more partner and professional support is associated with less father-infant bonding disturbances. To encourage a better father-infant bond, clinicians should invite and support all fathers, regardless of parity, as they transition to parenthood. © 2024 The Authors

The Finnish parental leave policy was renewed in 2022 giving both parents equal opportunities for parental leave use. Previous research on parental leave has focused largely on the mothers. The aim of this study was to shed light on fathers’ perspectives regarding the use of parental leave. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 7 fathers (age 25 – 42) from Helsinki in April 2024. Interviews were held on Microsoft Teams, recorded, transcribed and analyzed with the qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five categories and one overall theme. The categories consisted of employment situation and career development, influence of partners, gender equality, child’s best interest and personal thoughts and wishes. Fathers identified both opportunities and challenges concerning employment and career development. Partner influence was significant, both encouraging and discouraging longer parental leave. Fathers recognized gender equality issues and desired a more balanced share of leave yet appeared to be flexible when it came to sharing parental leave. Practical considerations like delaying daycare start dates influenced decisions, emphasizing the child’s best interest. The division where the mother stays at home longer, was perceived natural and the underlying message being that gender roles came naturally. Conclusion: Parental leave is shared unequal, and it comes naturally and reflects inherent gender roles within the family., Betyg i Ladok 240602.

The Finnish parental leave policy was renewed in 2022 giving both parents equal opportunities for parental leave use. Previous research on parental leave has focused largely on the mothers. The aim of this study was to shed light on fathers’ perspectives regarding the use of parental leave. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 7 fathers (age 25 – 42) from Helsinki in April 2024. Interviews were held on Microsoft Teams, recorded, transcribed and analyzed with the qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five categories and one overall theme. The categories consisted of employment situation and career development, influence of partners, gender equality, child’s best interest and personal thoughts and wishes. Fathers identified both opportunities and challenges concerning employment and career development. Partner influence was significant, both encouraging and discouraging longer parental leave. Fathers recognized gender equality issues and desired a more balanced share of leave yet appeared to be flexible when it came to sharing parental leave. Practical considerations like delaying daycare start dates influenced decisions, emphasizing the child’s best interest. The division where the mother stays at home longer, was perceived natural and the underlying message being that gender roles came naturally. Conclusion: Parental leave is shared unequal, and it comes naturally and reflects inherent gender roles within the family.

Bakgrund: Postpartumdepression definieras som en episod av egentlig depression(måttlig till svår) hos en nybliven förälder som har sin debut upp till ett år efter enförlossning. Forskning om nyblivna pappors upplevelser av att insjukna ipostpartumdepression är närapå obefintlig. Förståelse för pappors upplevelser avpostpartumdepression bland sjuksköterskor kan bidra till ett gott bemötande av dennapatientgrupp. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva nyblivna pappors erfarenheter av att insjukna ipostpartumdepression. Metod: En litteraturstudie av åtta vetenskapliga artiklar genomfördes. Databassökningägde rum i Cinahl, Pubmed, PsychInfo samt PubMed. Analys genomfördes med inspirationav kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier och sju subkategorier. Huvudkategorierna var ”behöva tolka och hantera ansträngande symtom”, ”behöva stöd” samt ”negativt påverkade familjerelationer”. Konklusion: Litteraturstudiens resultat visade att pappor beskrev upplevelser avbristande stöd från vården i form av kunskapsbrist. En kartläggning av kunskapsläget ompostpartumdepression hos pappor bland sjukvårdspersonal skulle kunna motiverakunskapshöjande interventioner eller införande av rutinmässig screening. I mötet mednyblivna pappor kan sjuksköterskan med kunskap om symtombilden vidpostpartumdepression bistå med att detektera depressionssymtom samt erbjuda stöd för att tillgodose pappors grundläggande behov., Background: Postpartum depression is defined as an episode of major depressivedisorder within a year postpartum. There is to this point almost no research about fathers’experiences with onset of postpartum depression. Understanding of such experiencesamong nurses could facilitate better treatment of depressed fathers in interactions with thehealthcare system. Aim: The aim was to describe new fathers experiences with onset of postpartumdepression. Methods: A literature study consisting of eight scientific articles was conducted. Database search was conducted in Cinahl, PubMed, PsychInfo and Scopus. To analyze thestudies, qualitative content analysis was used. Results: The analysis resulted in three main categories and seven sub categories. Themain categories consisted in “Interpreting and Handling Exhausting Symptoms”, “Needfor Support”, and “Negatively Influenced Family Relationships”. Conclusion: Fathers describe lack of knowledge among healthcare providers. Futureresearch about healthcare professionals knowledge about postpartum depression could,depending on results, motivate awareness raising interventions or screening routines.With further knowledge about symptoms of postpartum depression in new fathers, nursescan help detecting such symptoms and offer support in accommodate fathers’ basal needs.

Objective: To assess if received professional and social support are associated with father-infant bonding among primiparous (first-time) and multiparous (multi-time) fathers. Background: Early father-infant bonding predicts several positive child outcomes. However, while received professional and social support positively impacts fathers’ transition into parenthood, little research has tested if these factors are associated with a stronger father-infant bond. Methods: In total, 499 fathers (296 primiparous and 203 multiparous) of infants (aged 0–12 months) completed a cross-sectional online survey between November 2018 and March 2020. The survey included items related to socio-demographics, having a planned pregnancy, postnatal midwifery support, child health nurse support, child health center attendance, and social support. The parent-infant bonding questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the father-infant bond. Multiple linear regression models were estimated for the total sample and based on paternal parity. Missing data were managed through multiple imputation procedures. Findings: Fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances if they received support from their partners, postnatal midwives, child health nurses, and attended more child health visits. Primiparous fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances when receiving support from their partners, postnatal midwives, and the child health nurse. However, multiparous fathers had more bonding disturbances than primiparous fathers and received less professional and partner support. Conclusions: Receiving more partner and professional support is associated with less father-infant bonding disturbances. To encourage a better father-infant bond, clinicians should invite and support all fathers, regardless of parity, as they transition to parenthood. © 2024 The Authors

Social workers often fail to engage fathers in child protection investigations (CPIs), especially when they involve domestic abuse (DA) by fathers. The aim of this study is to examine the strategies used by social workers to achieve cooperation with fathers in CPIs that involve the father being suspected of DA against the child's mother. With the use of qualitative methods, we conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with 15 social workers during their work on 12 CPI cases. Through thematic analysis, two main strategies for achieving cooperation were created: (1) Securing an Initial Bond, which involved reducing the tension in CPI proceedings and affirming the father; (2) Maintaining the Bond while addressing the father's abusive behaviour, which involved negotiating with fathers about the DA and helping them shift their perspective on how their behaviour has impacted the victims. This analysis is rooted in the framework of shame, guilt and social bonds. However, there is a risk that these strategies may lead to the DA being minimized or overlooked. Striking a balance between building a bond and addressing abuse is crucial, and the timing of addressing DA plays a central role.

Objective: To assess if received professional and social support are associated with father-infant bonding among primiparous (first-time) and multiparous (multi-time) fathers. Background: Early father-infant bonding predicts several positive child outcomes. However, while received professional and social support positively impacts fathers’ transition into parenthood, little research has tested if these factors are associated with a stronger father-infant bond. Methods: In total, 499 fathers (296 primiparous and 203 multiparous) of infants (aged 0–12 months) completed a cross-sectional online survey between November 2018 and March 2020. The survey included items related to socio-demographics, having a planned pregnancy, postnatal midwifery support, child health nurse support, child health center attendance, and social support. The parent-infant bonding questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the father-infant bond. Multiple linear regression models were estimated for the total sample and based on paternal parity. Missing data were managed through multiple imputation procedures. Findings: Fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances if they received support from their partners, postnatal midwives, child health nurses, and attended more child health visits. Primiparous fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances when receiving support from their partners, postnatal midwives, and the child health nurse. However, multiparous fathers had more bonding disturbances than primiparous fathers and received less professional and partner support. Conclusions: Receiving more partner and professional support is associated with less father-infant bonding disturbances. To encourage a better father-infant bond, clinicians should invite and support all fathers, regardless of parity, as they transition to parenthood. © 2024 The Authors

Social workers often fail to engage fathers in child protection investigations (CPIs), especially when they involve domestic abuse (DA) by fathers. The aim of this study is to examine the strategies used by social workers to achieve cooperation with fathers in CPIs that involve the father being suspected of DA against the child's mother. With the use of qualitative methods, we conducted 31 semi-structured interviews with 15 social workers during their work on 12 CPI cases. Through thematic analysis, two main strategies for achieving cooperation were created: (1) Securing an Initial Bond, which involved reducing the tension in CPI proceedings and affirming the father; (2) Maintaining the Bond while addressing the father's abusive behaviour, which involved negotiating with fathers about the DA and helping them shift their perspective on how their behaviour has impacted the victims. This analysis is rooted in the framework of shame, guilt and social bonds. However, there is a risk that these strategies may lead to the DA being minimized or overlooked. Striking a balance between building a bond and addressing abuse is crucial, and the timing of addressing DA plays a central role.

Objective: To assess if received professional and social support are associated with father-infant bonding among primiparous (first-time) and multiparous (multi-time) fathers. Background: Early father-infant bonding predicts several positive child outcomes. However, while received professional and social support positively impacts fathers’ transition into parenthood, little research has tested if these factors are associated with a stronger father-infant bond. Methods: In total, 499 fathers (296 primiparous and 203 multiparous) of infants (aged 0–12 months) completed a cross-sectional online survey between November 2018 and March 2020. The survey included items related to socio-demographics, having a planned pregnancy, postnatal midwifery support, child health nurse support, child health center attendance, and social support. The parent-infant bonding questionnaire (PBQ) was used to assess the father-infant bond. Multiple linear regression models were estimated for the total sample and based on paternal parity. Missing data were managed through multiple imputation procedures. Findings: Fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances if they received support from their partners, postnatal midwives, child health nurses, and attended more child health visits. Primiparous fathers reported fewer bonding disturbances when receiving support from their partners, postnatal midwives, and the child health nurse. However, multiparous fathers had more bonding disturbances than primiparous fathers and received less professional and partner support. Conclusions: Receiving more partner and professional support is associated with less father-infant bonding disturbances. To encourage a better father-infant bond, clinicians should invite and support all fathers, regardless of parity, as they transition to parenthood. © 2024 The Authors

The Finnish parental leave policy was renewed in 2022 giving both parents equal opportunities for parental leave use. Previous research on parental leave has focused largely on the mothers. The aim of this study was to shed light on fathers’ perspectives regarding the use of parental leave. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 7 fathers (age 25 – 42) from Helsinki in April 2024. Interviews were held on Microsoft Teams, recorded, transcribed and analyzed with the qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five categories and one overall theme. The categories consisted of employment situation and career development, influence of partners, gender equality, child’s best interest and personal thoughts and wishes. Fathers identified both opportunities and challenges concerning employment and career development. Partner influence was significant, both encouraging and discouraging longer parental leave. Fathers recognized gender equality issues and desired a more balanced share of leave yet appeared to be flexible when it came to sharing parental leave. Practical considerations like delaying daycare start dates influenced decisions, emphasizing the child’s best interest. The division where the mother stays at home longer, was perceived natural and the underlying message being that gender roles came naturally. Conclusion: Parental leave is shared unequal, and it comes naturally and reflects inherent gender roles within the family., Betyg i Ladok 240602.

The Finnish parental leave policy was renewed in 2022 giving both parents equal opportunities for parental leave use. Previous research on parental leave has focused largely on the mothers. The aim of this study was to shed light on fathers’ perspectives regarding the use of parental leave. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 7 fathers (age 25 – 42) from Helsinki in April 2024. Interviews were held on Microsoft Teams, recorded, transcribed and analyzed with the qualitative content analysis. Results: The analysis revealed five categories and one overall theme. The categories consisted of employment situation and career development, influence of partners, gender equality, child’s best interest and personal thoughts and wishes. Fathers identified both opportunities and challenges concerning employment and career development. Partner influence was significant, both encouraging and discouraging longer parental leave. Fathers recognized gender equality issues and desired a more balanced share of leave yet appeared to be flexible when it came to sharing parental leave. Practical considerations like delaying daycare start dates influenced decisions, emphasizing the child’s best interest. The division where the mother stays at home longer, was perceived natural and the underlying message being that gender roles came naturally. Conclusion: Parental leave is shared unequal, and it comes naturally and reflects inherent gender roles within the family.

Bakgrund: Postpartumdepression definieras som en episod av egentlig depression(måttlig till svår) hos en nybliven förälder som har sin debut upp till ett år efter enförlossning. Forskning om nyblivna pappors upplevelser av att insjukna ipostpartumdepression är närapå obefintlig. Förståelse för pappors upplevelser avpostpartumdepression bland sjuksköterskor kan bidra till ett gott bemötande av dennapatientgrupp. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva nyblivna pappors erfarenheter av att insjukna ipostpartumdepression. Metod: En litteraturstudie av åtta vetenskapliga artiklar genomfördes. Databassökningägde rum i Cinahl, Pubmed, PsychInfo samt PubMed. Analys genomfördes med inspirationav kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre huvudkategorier och sju subkategorier. Huvudkategorierna var ”behöva tolka och hantera ansträngande symtom”, ”behöva stöd” samt ”negativt påverkade familjerelationer”. Konklusion: Litteraturstudiens resultat visade att pappor beskrev upplevelser avbristande stöd från vården i form av kunskapsbrist. En kartläggning av kunskapsläget ompostpartumdepression hos pappor bland sjukvårdspersonal skulle kunna motiverakunskapshöjande interventioner eller införande av rutinmässig screening. I mötet mednyblivna pappor kan sjuksköterskan med kunskap om symtombilden vidpostpartumdepression bistå med att detektera depressionssymtom samt erbjuda stöd för att tillgodose pappors grundläggande behov., Background: Postpartum depression is defined as an episode of major depressivedisorder within a year postpartum. There is to this point almost no research about fathers’experiences with onset of postpartum depression. Understanding of such experiencesamong nurses could facilitate better treatment of depressed fathers in interactions with thehealthcare system. Aim: The aim was to describe new fathers experiences with onset of postpartumdepression. Methods: A literature study consisting of eight scientific articles was conducted. Database search was conducted in Cinahl, PubMed, PsychInfo and Scopus. To analyze thestudies, qualitative content analysis was used. Results: The analysis resulted in three main categories and seven sub categories. Themain categories consisted in “Interpreting and Handling Exhausting Symptoms”, “Needfor Support”, and “Negatively Influenced Family Relationships”. Conclusion: Fathers describe lack of knowledge among healthcare providers. Futureresearch about healthcare professionals knowledge about postpartum depression could,depending on results, motivate awareness raising interventions or screening routines.With further knowledge about symptoms of postpartum depression in new fathers, nursescan help detecting such symptoms and offer support in accommodate fathers’ basal needs.

A major reason for the gendered division of parental leave use is the financial compensation during leave. Swedish national parental leave benefit provides 77.6 percent of earlier earnings up to an income ceiling, but collective agreements cover part of the income loss above the ceiling during leave. We focus on the importance of such collective agreements by examining fathers' parental leave take-up across the 2000s, as agreements were expanded during this period in time. We combine register data for the period 2001 to 2011 with the Longitudinal Integrated Database for Health Insurance and Labour Market Studies (LISA) being the key data source. The main division of agreements is between the state, the municipality and county, and the private sector. Results indicate that fathers with income above the income ceiling increase their use over the time period. Especially in the private sector a polarisation can be seen, where high income fathers increase their leave use, while fathers with lower income fall behind. As we do not find stronger increase in fathers' leave use in sectors where agreements expanded across time there is no evident support of a direct effect of the top-ups.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children, varies dramatically across countries and is highest in Western countries characterized by high individualism. METHOD: In this study, we examined the mediators of the relationship between individualism measured at the country level and parental burnout measured at the individual level in 36 countries (16,059 parents). RESULTS: The results revealed three mediating mechanisms, that is, self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, high agency and self-directed socialization goals, and low parental task sharing, by which individualism leads to an increased risk of burnout among parents. CONCLUSION: The results confirm that the three mediators under consideration are all involved, and that mediation was higher for self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, then parental task sharing, and lastly self-directed socialization goals. The results provide some important indications of how to prevent parental burnout at the societal level in Western countries.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children, varies dramatically across countries and is highest in Western countries characterized by high individualism. METHOD: In this study, we examined the mediators of the relationship between individualism measured at the country level and parental burnout measured at the individual level in 36 countries (16,059 parents). RESULTS: The results revealed three mediating mechanisms, that is, self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, high agency and self-directed socialization goals, and low parental task sharing, by which individualism leads to an increased risk of burnout among parents. CONCLUSION: The results confirm that the three mediators under consideration are all involved, and that mediation was higher for self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, then parental task sharing, and lastly self-directed socialization goals. The results provide some important indications of how to prevent parental burnout at the societal level in Western countries.

Purpose The prevalence of parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children, varies dramatically across countries and is highest in Western countries characterized by high individualism. Method In this study, we examined the mediators of the relationship between individualism measured at the country level and parental burnout measured at the individual level in 36 countries (16,059 parents). Results The results revealed three mediating mechanisms, that is, self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, high agency and self-directed socialization goals, and low parental task sharing, by which individualism leads to an increased risk of burnout among parents. Conclusion The results confrm that the three mediators under consideration are all involved, and that mediation was higher for self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, then parental task sharing, and lastly selfdi-rected socialization goals. The results provide some important indications of how to prevent parental burnout at the societal level in Western countries., Funding IR and MM were supported by a Coordinated Research Grant from the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles in Belgium (ARC Grant n°19/24-100). This fund did not exert any infuence or censorship of any kind on the present work.Availability of data and material The full protocol, database, and syntaxes are available on OSF https://osf.io/94w7u/?view_only=a6cf12803887476cb5e7f17cfb8b5ca2.

PURPOSE: The prevalence of parental burnout, a condition that has severe consequences for both parents and children, varies dramatically across countries and is highest in Western countries characterized by high individualism. METHOD: In this study, we examined the mediators of the relationship between individualism measured at the country level and parental burnout measured at the individual level in 36 countries (16,059 parents). RESULTS: The results revealed three mediating mechanisms, that is, self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, high agency and self-directed socialization goals, and low parental task sharing, by which individualism leads to an increased risk of burnout among parents. CONCLUSION: The results confirm that the three mediators under consideration are all involved, and that mediation was higher for self-discrepancies between socially prescribed and actual parental selves, then parental task sharing, and lastly self-directed socialization goals. The results provide some important indications of how to prevent parental burnout at the societal level in Western countries.

Family members and friends can play an important role in adolescents prosocial behavior. To better understand the relation between support and prosocial behavior in adolescence, its important to conduct longitudinal studies that distinguish between within-dyad variance and between-dyad variance. The current study investigated longitudinal associations between adolescents prosocial behavior, autonomy support, and emotional support from family and friends across adolescence. Across six annual years, 497 Dutch adolescents (284 boys; mean age T1 = 13.03 years, SDage = 0.46), fathers, mothers, siblings, and friends reported on their prosocial behavior. Adolescents also reported on perceived autonomy and emotional support. Between-dyads almost all associations of support and prosocial behavior of family members and friends with adolescents prosocial behavior were significant, with higher levels of adolescents prosocial behavior being associated with higher levels of prosocial behavior and support from fathers, mothers and friends. Within-dyads, several concurrent associations were significant, but within-dyads links between prosocial behavior and autonomy support are particularly driven by adolescent-mother or adolescent-sibling effects. This study highlights processes that occurred either at the between-dyad level or at the within-dyad level, but that varied per relationship type and that adolescents are the main catalysts in within-dyads changes in prosocial behavior and support. Preregistration: This study was preregistered on 20 January 2020 at https://osf.io/vxkm3/?view_only=dca87fd1585c444ba5cd5a00c22280ae .

Objective: Engagement of fathers in family health services confers benefits for the health and wellbeing of the whole family. The childbirth continuum is traditionally considered a feminine event, however, commensurate with the changing paradigm of gender equity in family healthcare worldwide, the role of fathers is in transformation. The aim of the study is to explore father's perceptions and experiences of healthcare engagement during pregnancy and early infant care. Design: Qualitative free-text questions were embedded in a large multi-country, cross-sectional survey, to explored fathers’ attendance, participation, and experience of health care during appointments with their pregnant partner and/or baby. Setting and participants: Expectant and new fathers were recruited through Prolific®, an international paid online survey platform. Findings: Qualitative responses (n=889) were provided by fathers from 28 countries, with experiences of a range of contexts and models of care; 46.8% of whose partners were pregnant and 53.2% had given birth since 2020. The findings suggest that although most fathers wanted to attend and participate in maternity and early parenting-related healthcare, multiple barriers were identified at the individual father, organisational context, and societal levels. Fathers reported negative social factors such as gender bias and restrictive gender norms as barriers to their healthcare engagement. In contrast, factors that enabled fathers to overcome barriers included the fathers’ feelings of confidence in their partner's autonomy and decision-making skills, trusted professional relationships with clinicians, and clinicians with good interpersonal skills. Key conclusions: Multiple barriers restrict the participation of fathers in healthcare for childbearing and early parenting. Knowledge of these barriers can inform healthcare redesign to include more successful engagement strategies for fathers, to benefit fathers, mothers, and infants alike

Objective: Engagement of fathers in family health services confers benefits for the health and wellbeing of the whole family. The childbirth continuum is traditionally considered a feminine event, however, commensurate with the changing paradigm of gender equity in family healthcare worldwide, the role of fathers is in transformation. The aim of the study is to explore father's perceptions and experiences of healthcare engagement during pregnancy and early infant care. Design: Qualitative free-text questions were embedded in a large multi-country, cross-sectional survey, to explored fathers’ attendance, participation, and experience of health care during appointments with their pregnant partner and/or baby. Setting and participants: Expectant and new fathers were recruited through Prolific®, an international paid online survey platform. Findings: Qualitative responses (n=889) were provided by fathers from 28 countries, with experiences of a range of contexts and models of care; 46.8% of whose partners were pregnant and 53.2% had given birth since 2020. The findings suggest that although most fathers wanted to attend and participate in maternity and early parenting-related healthcare, multiple barriers were identified at the individual father, organisational context, and societal levels. Fathers reported negative social factors such as gender bias and restrictive gender norms as barriers to their healthcare engagement. In contrast, factors that enabled fathers to overcome barriers included the fathers’ feelings of confidence in their partner's autonomy and decision-making skills, trusted professional relationships with clinicians, and clinicians with good interpersonal skills. Key conclusions: Multiple barriers restrict the participation of fathers in healthcare for childbearing and early parenting. Knowledge of these barriers can inform healthcare redesign to include more successful engagement strategies for fathers, to benefit fathers, mothers, and infants alike

Purpose: To investigate relationships between distinct schizotypy risk profiles in childhood and the full spectrum of parental mental disorders. Methods: Participants were 22,137 children drawn from the New South Wales Child Development Study, for whom profiles of risk for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders in middle childhood (age ~ 11 years) were derived in a previous study. A series of multinomial logistic regression analyses examined the likelihood of child membership in one of three schizotypy profiles (true schizotypy, introverted schizotypy, and affective schizotypy) relative to the children showing no risk, according to maternal and paternal diagnoses of seven types of mental disorders. Results: All types of parental mental disorders were associated with membership in all childhood schizotypy profiles. Children in the true schizotypy group were more than twice as likely as children in the no risk group to have a parent with any type of mental disorder (unadjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.27, 95% confidence intervals [CI] = 2.01–2.56); those in the affective (OR = 1.54, 95% CI = 1.42–1.67) and introverted schizotypy profiles (OR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.29–1.51) were also more likely to have been exposed to any parental mental disorder, relative to children showing no risk. Conclusion: Childhood schizotypy risk profiles appear not to be related specifically to familial liability for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders; this is consistent with a model where liability for psychopathology is largely general rather than specific to particular diagnostic categories.

Background: Women from migrant and refugee backgrounds living in high-income countries have increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and report lower satisfaction with perinatal healthcare. In Sydney, Australia, a new service known as the Cross Cultural Workers (CCWs) in Maternity and Child and Family Health Service (the CCW Service) was implemented to support such women and families from pregnancy to the early parenting period. This study aimed to ascertain the experiences of women and their partners engaging with the CCW Service. Methods: A survey study was undertaken. Women accessing the CCW Service were recruited during pregnancy and were asked to complete surveys at three time points: in the third trimester of pregnancy, at 6 and 12 months postpartum. Their partners were invited to complete a survey at 6 months postpartum. Survey data were analysed to compare satisfaction, usefulness, number of CCW interactions, cultural sensitivity, and service improvement recommendations across all three survey timepoints. Results: A total of 231 surveys were received: 113 during pregnancy, 50 at 6-months postpartum, 44 at 12-months postpartum, and 24 partner surveys. Participants in all surveys reported the CCW Service to be useful (84–94%), stating that it increased their understanding of pregnancy, birth and parenting (95–100%), and that they would recommend the CCW Service (92–98%). Participants experienced a high level of satisfaction (88–95%) irrespective of the number of CCW interactions (p = 0.42). Thoughts on becoming a mother or parent were more positive after meeting the CCW than before for both women (p = 0.01) and partners (p = 0.12). Suggestions for CCW Service improvement were to 1) increase the provision of information, specifically financial entitlements, postnatal depression, and support services, 2) increase involvement of partners in care, 3) increase the CCW workforce/or number of CCWs. Conclusion: The CCW Service was associated with positive experien

Infants learn language through the back-and-forth interactions with their parents where they serve by uttering sounds, gesturing, or looking and parents return in prompt (i.e., close in time) and meaningful (i.e., semantically relevant to the object of interest) ways. In a sample of 9-month-old infants (n = 148) and their mothers and fathers (n = 296 parents) from ethnically and socioeconomically diverse backgrounds, we examined the associations between serve and return (SR) parent-child interactions and childrens language skills at 18 and 24 months. We also examined the moderation effects between maternal and paternal SR interactions on language outcomes. SR interactions were transcribed and coded from videotaped parent-child toy play activities during home visits. We report three findings. First, mothers who provided more meaningful responses to their childs serves at 9 months had children with higher expressive language scores at 18 months. Second, fathers prompt responses (i.e., within 3 s) at 9 months were associated with higher receptive language scores at 18 months, but their meaningful responses were negatively associated with receptive language scores at 24 months. Third, the negative association between fathers meaningful responses and childrens receptive language scores was reduced (compensated) when mothers meaningful responses were high. Findings show that infants in ethnically and socioeconomically diverse families engage in frequent SR interactions with both mothers and fathers, who make unique contributions to infants language development. We discuss implications for programs and policies that aim to promote early language development and reduce gaps in school readiness.

Gender stereotypes prescribe mothers, but not fathers, to prioritize their family over their work. Therefore, internalization of gender stereotypes may predict higher guilt among mothers than fathers in situations in which they prioritize their work over their family. Study 1 (135 mothers and 116 fathers) indeed revealed that the stronger fathers' implicit gender stereotypes (measured with a gender-career implicit association task) the less guilt fathers reported in a fictitious work-interfering-with-family situation. Although mothers on average reported higher guilt than fathers, this effect was not moderated by their implicit gender stereotypes. Study 2 (daily diary study among 105 mothers), however, did reveal evidence for the moderating effect of implicit gender stereotypes on working mothers' guilt. The stronger mothers' implicit gender stereotypes the more work-family conflict and guilt they reported on days that they worked long hours. These results show that implicit gender stereotypes shape how parents feel about their work-family choices.

Parents have a critical role to play in the sexual education of their children. We conducted a systematic review of studies assessing the experiences of parents regarding the role they play in the sexual education of their children. We included qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies conducted among parents in Europe. We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, and screened 20,244 unique records. Forty-nine studies enrolling 18,083 unique parents met inclusion criteria. The studies show that parents have ideals regarding the sexual education of their children that center around the importance of trust, open conversations, and honesty. However, challenges and concerns, related to parents’ and children’s gender, children’s age, children’s specific situations, and limited parental knowledge and communication skills prevented them from living up to these ideals. Parents pointed to the role of other institutions as ways to support and strengthen parents’ contributions to the sexual development of their children. We conclude that parents may require guidance and support to identify what is appropriate sexual education for their children, based on age, gender, and other characteristics, how to provide appropriate sexual education, and to strengthen their sexual communication skills and knowledge of contemporary sexual health issues.

Background: Parental risk factors play an important role in child maltreatment, however, little is known about the role of fathers’ risk factors. Objective: The current study aimed to compare fathers and mothers in terms of (1) the prevalence and impact of risk factors for perpetrating child maltreatment and (2) the interplay of risk factors. Participants: The Dutch sample consisted of 4090 mothers and 3973 fathers who had a newborn and received health-and developmental checks between October 2001 and November 2002. Methods: Risk factors were assessed using the Instrument for Identification of Parents at Risk for Child Abuse and Neglect (IPARAN) and child maltreatment was defined as a verified report at Child Protection Services in a period of 3-years following completion of the IPARAN. McNemar tests and network analyses were performed. Results: Results demonstrated that the majority of assessed risk factors were related to perpetrating future child maltreatment for both fathers and mothers. In general, risk factors were more prevalent in mothers than in fathers. Inability to ask for help was the risk factor that was most prevalent for both mothers (22.4%) and fathers (22%). The risk factors worries about raising the child, unhappy during pregnancy, and losing control when angry were more strongly related to future child maltreatment in mothers compared to fathers, whereas risk factors related to their own child maltreatment in the past and experiencing a lack of support were more impactful for fathers compared to mothers. For fathers and mothers, belief in physical punishment and risk factors related to their own history of child maltreatment were most central. Conclusions: Overall, these findings underscore the importance of considering the long-lasting, intergenerational effects of child maltreatment. Intergenerational trauma may put parents at a higher risk of becoming perpetrators; our network results confirm that these risk factors deserve an important spot

Objective: This study investigated whether fathers' involvement in play with young children was more susceptible than mothers' involvement to coparenting relationships in low-income families and examined child gender and fathers' residential status as moderators of susceptibility. Background: Parental involvement in developmentally appropriate and stimulating activities benefits young children. The coparenting relationship plays an important role in shaping parental involvement, and its impact may be stronger for fathers, rendering fathers more susceptible. Method: Data were drawn from 4606 families in the Building Strong Families project. Mothers and fathers reported coparenting relationship quality and involvement in play with children at 15- and 36-month follow-up studies. Cross-lagged panel models were used incorporating actor-partner interdependence. Results: Overall, fathers' involvement was more strongly affected by coparenting relationship quality than mothers' involvement. Elevated susceptibility to coparenting did not apply to all fathers. The involvement of fathers of girls (vs. fathers of boys) and non-resident fathers (vs. resident fathers) was more strongly affected by fathers' perceptions of coparenting. The actor effect from coparenting to involvement was stronger for fathers than mothers in families with non-resident fathers. No significant differences were found in partner effects. Conclusion: This study reveals that parents' susceptibility is multiply determined and highlights the importance of considering the interrelated nature of family subsystems. Intervention programs targeting parenting and coparenting should spare more efforts to involve fathers, especially those whose engagement in parenting may be most susceptible to family processes. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Marriage and Family published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

Background: Research gaps exist with regard to paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding and the association between fathers’ attitudes and the type of breastfeeding. Research Aims: (1) To analyze the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale in fathers, and (2) to examine the association between fathers’ attitudes and type of breastfeeding. Method: We used a cross-sectional study design to analyze the scale’s psychometric properties and performance. Results: A total of 639 fathers participated in the study. The mean age was 35.83 years (SD = 4.65) and 67.3% (n = 430) were married or in a civil partnership. We observed an adequate fit in the confirmatory factor analysis: TLI = 0.96, CFI = 0.97 and RMSEA = 0.05. The overall internal consistency was 0.76. Between 1–6 months, 48% (n = 307) of participants’ babies were exclusively breastfed, 35.2% (n = 225) were partially breastfed, and 16.7% (n = 107) were exclusively formula fed. Statistically significant differences were shown in attitudes towards breastfeeding, depending on the type of breastfeeding, between 1 and 6 months (F = 54.67; p < .001). Fathers who reported that their baby had been exclusively breastfed scored higher on attitudes towards breastfeeding. Statistically significant differences were also found between partial breastfeeding and formula feeding. Conclusions: The Spanish version of the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding., Antecedentes: Existen otras lagunas de investigación en relación con la promoción de la lactancia materna, específicamente en las actitudes de los padres. Objetivos: Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron: 1) analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la versión española de Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale en padres, y 2) examinar la asociación entre las actitudes paternas y el tipo de lactancia materna. Método: nosotros llevamos a cabo un diseño transversal para analizar las propiedades psicométricas y el funcionamiento de la escala. Resultados: participaron 639 padres con una edad media de 35.83 (DE = 4.65) y el 67.3% estaban casadas o eran pareja de hecho. Observamos un ajuste adecuado en el análisis factorial confirmatorio: TLI = 0.96, CFI = 0.97, y RMSEA = 0.05. La consistencia interna total fue de 0.76. Entre el mes y los seis meses, el 48% de sus bebés se alimentaba exclusivamente con lactancia materna, el 35.2% lactancia mixta y el 16.7% solo utilizaba lactancia con fórmula. Se mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la actitud hacia la lactancia materna en función de la lactancia realizada entre el mes y los 6 meses (F = 54.67; p < .001). Los padres que notificaron que su bebe amamantaba de manera exclusiva tenían una puntuación más elevada en la actitud hacia la lactancia materna. También se encontraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la lactancia mixta y la lactancia artificial. Conclusiones: La versión en español de Iowa Infant Feeding attitude Scale es un instrumento válido y fiable para evaluar las actitudes hacia la lactancia materna en padres.

In only a few decades, workplace leave for fathers has grown from a few days of paternity leave to several months of leave to bond with their children. Historically, some reforms are striking for the signals they send about gender norms of care. In this paper, we argue there are five distinct types of fathers’ leave that differ in their potential messages about fatherhood. Using new and original measures, we examine the development of each leave type, total leave provisions and the duration of well-paid leave across 23 affluent democracies over the last half century. We find that welfare states have increasingly established well-paid and non-transferable leave provisions promoted by family policy experts, but such provisions remain underfunded. Transferable parental leave entitlements, when offered, are typically more generous. We also find countries vary but are historically consistent in how they distribute benefits based on fathers’ earnings. Overall, this presents indicators that lay necessary groundwork for advancements in comparative policy analysis.

Background: Finding modifiable predictors of paternal depression symptoms is helpful for developing interventions. The aim is to assess the unidirectional and/or bidirectional associations between paternal postpartum depression symptoms and coparenting among fathers of infants and toddlers. Methods: Longitudinal data were collected prospectively from 429 fathers of infants aged 0–24 months (median = 8 months) in Sweden, with 6- and 18-month follow-ups. All fathers participated in at least two of three waves of data collection, and multiple imputation was used for missing values. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale was used to detect depression symptoms (≥10 points), while the Brief Coparenting Relationship Scale measured the coparenting relationship. A cross-lagged panel model was used to estimate the associations between paternal depression symptoms and coparenting relationship quality over time, controlling for several known covariates and COVID-19 exposure. Results: Fathers with higher coparenting scores at Time 1 and 2 had less depression symptoms at Time 3, and fathers with more depression symptoms at Time 2 had lower coparenting scores at Time 3. Plotted probabilities of having at least mild depression symptoms revealed a multifold increase in the probability of depression symptoms at Time 3 for fathers with minimal coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively, compared to fathers with mean coparenting scores at Times 1 and 2, respectively. Limitations: Causal links cannot be determined using the current non-experimental study design. Using the EPDS alone may have missed some fathers with depression symptoms. Conclusions: Clinicians seeking to reduce paternal depression symptoms should help strengthen the coparenting relationship.