Promoting Father Involvement for Child and Family Health

Publication date: Available online 10 April 2018 Source:Academic Pediatrics Author(s): Brandon S. Allport, Sara Johnson, Anushka Aqil, Alain B. Labrique, Timothy Nelson, Angela KC, Yorghos Carabas, Arik V. Marcell Paternal involvement in children's lives is associated with a variety of child outcomes, from improved cognition and mental health to reduced obesity rates and asthma exacerbations. Given this evidence, the American Academy of Pediatrics has promoted actions by pediatricians to engage fathers in pediatric care. Despite these recommendations, the mother-child dyad remains a frequent focus of care, rather than the mother-father-child triad. Furthermore, pediatric care is often leveraged to improve maternal health, such as screening for maternal depression, but paternal health is infrequently addressed even as men tend to exhibit riskier behaviors, poorer primary care utilization, and lower life expectancy. Therefore, increasing efforts by pediatric clinicians to engage fathers may have impacts on both father and child health. These efforts to engage fathers are informed by currently used definitions and measures of father involvement, which are discussed here. Factors described in the literature which affect father involvement are also summarized, including: culture and context; interpersonal factors; logistics; knowledge and self-efficacy; and attitudes, beliefs, and incentives. Innovative ways to reach fathers both in the clinic and in other settings are c...
Source: Academic Pediatrics - Category: Pediatrics Source Type: research