Midwives and child health nurses' support is associated with positive coparenting for fathers of infants: A cross-sectional analysis

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To examine if the professional support that fathers received from midwives and child health nurses was associated with improvements in fathers' coparenting. A secondary aim was to investigate if there were any support differences between fathers based on parity.

Background: Stronger coparenting is associated with improved maternal, paternal and child health. It is unclear if routine prenatal and postnatal professional support is associated with improved coparenting in fathers of infants.

Design: Cross-sectional online survey.

Methods: In total, 612 fathers of infants (aged 0-24 months) completed baseline data between November 2018 and March 2020. Socio-demographics, pregnancy control variables, social support, professional support, being invited to attend and attending three specific visits for fathers, respectively, and the fathers' coparenting relationship, using the Brief Coparenting Relationship Scale, were assessed. The STROBE checklist was used as the reporting guideline for this study.

Results: Fathers' attendance at child health visits, support from the prenatal and postnatal midwife, respectively, and total support from the child health nurse, are associated with more positive coparenting. Primiparous fathers reported more received social and professional support, as well as a more positive coparenting relationship than multiparous fathers.

Conclusions: Receiving clinical support from both midwives and child health nurses is associated with fathers' positive coparenting. All fathers should be invited and encouraged to attend prenatal, postnatal and child health visits to further support their coparenting relationship. Relative to primiparous fathers, multiparous fathers may require targeted and additional clinical support regarding their coparenting relationship.

Relevance to clinical practice: With fathers becoming more involved in childrearing, having stronger coparenting skills can help them better adapt to their parental roles. Our findings help understand how routine professional support from midwives and child health nurses are experienced among new fathers and that multiparous fathers are in further need of coparenting support.

Keywords: child health nurses; coparenting; fathers; midwives; parity; professional support.