Peer-reviewed article
Perspectives of maternal and child health care providers on their relationship with fathers during the first 1000 days of life: a Q-study methodology.
Hilverda F, Mast Z, Munshi SC, van de Beek J, Bijma HH et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explored how maternal and child health care providers perceive their relationship with fathers during the first 1000 days of a child's life. Using Q-methodology with 15 health care providers like midwives and obstetricians, the researchers identified four distinct perspectives on father involvement in care. The findings show that health care providers have very different views on how fathers should be involved, ranging from minimal attention to fathers to actively supporting their unique role. The study highlights that a change in attitudes among care providers is needed to enable greater father involvement in maternal and child health services.
Key points
- Four distinct perspectives were identified: (1) provider-led care lacking father attention; (2) joint agreements without specific father focus; (3) equal interaction between providers, mothers and fathers; (4) supporting fathers in their unique role
- Health care providers show substantial differences in how they view their relationship with fathers and the roles each should play
- Father involvement during the first 1000 days is often lacking despite research showing its importance
- Not all maternal and child health care providers prioritize active involvement of fathers in the care process
- A cultural change in provider attitudes is needed to enable father involvement in maternal and child healthcare
Limitations
The study involved only 15 health care providers and does not indicate their geographic location or healthcare setting diversity, limiting generalizability. The study explores provider perspectives only and does not assess actual outcomes for children or families, or measure the impact of different provider approaches on father involvement or child well-being.
Abstract
Background Research shows that maternal and child health care providers can play an important role in supporting men in the process of becoming a father and caring for a child. The way this professional support takes shape depends on health care providers' relationship with fathers. Yet, insights into how health care providers perceive the relationship are currently limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the perspectives of health care providers in maternal and childcare on their relationship with fathers. Methods A Q-methodology design was used with 31 statements. The participants (n = 15) consisted of maternal and child health care providers who regularly are in contact with fathers during the first 1000 days of their child's life, such as midwives and obstetricians. This target group was selected since previous research highlights the importance of father involvement starting at an early stage and that in that stage father involvement in the care process is often lacking. Perspectives were based on statement raking grouped through Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and interpreted using interview data. Results Four perspectives on how health care providers perceive their relationship with fathers were found. These perspectives focus on: (1) the leading role of healthcare providers which lacks attention to fathers; (2) joint agreements and trust without paying specific attention to fathers; (3) equal interaction between healthcare providers, mothers and fathers; and (4) supporting fathers to take up their unique role. Conclusions Our results show substantial differences between maternal and child health care providers in how they view their relationship with fathers, attributing varying roles to themselves and the fathers. Interventions in maternal and child healthcare aiming to increase paternal involvement should take these perspectives on the care relationship into account as not all maternal and child health care providers prioritize active involvement of (future) fathers. This implies that a (cultural) change in attitudes of care providers is needed to enable father involvement in maternal and child healthcare.