Peer-reviewed article

From Mother-Infant Dyad to Mother-Father-Infant Triad: A Cross-Sectional Study on Fathers' Breastfeeding Attitudes and Participation.

Çerçer Z, Biçer Şahin F, Kanarya T · 27 Apr 2026

Abstract

Background and aim It is important to include fathers in the evaluation of the breastfeeding process. This study aimed to assess fathers' breastfeeding attitudes and participation. Methods The cross-sectional study data were collected between March and June 2024 in a maternity and child hospital and completed with the participation of 194 fathers. The study data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Fathers' Breastfeeding Attitude Scale (F-BA), and Fathers' Participation in Breastfeeding Process Scale (F-PB). Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, independent t-tests, and Pearson correlation were used in the analysis. Results It was determined that the fathers' total F-BA mean score was 58.24 ± 5.62, and the total F-PB mean score was 57.09 ± 6.84. A total of 81% of fathers stated that breastfeeding was healthy for the baby. No statistical significance was found between the fathers' sociodemographic and breastfeeding characteristics and F-BA (p > 0.05). A statistical significance was found between the child's age, the child's nutritional method in the first 6 months, the effect of the father figure during the breastfeeding process, and F-PB (p < 0.05). A positive, moderate, highly significant correlation was found between the total F-BA and the total F-PB (r = 0.476, p < 0.001). Conclusion Fathers in this study exhibited generally favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. However, mean scores were close to the scale's cutoff value. Their level of participation varied based on contextual factors. These findings emphasize that positive attitudes are not necessarily associated with higher levels of active participation and highlight the importance of a deeper understanding of fathers' roles in the breastfeeding process.