UNASSIGNED: This study explores the mental health journey of fathers with children on the autism spectrum. Little is known about mental health over time for these fathers. This research spans six-timepoints from when children were aged 4 to 14 years, to track fathers\' mental health. This study had three aims: (1) report estimates of fathers\' psychological distress across 10 years of child development; (2) identify separate courses of psychological distress over time; and (3) identify early risk factors associated with these courses. This study used data from 281 fathers of children on the autism spectrum who took part in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Using a statistical method to group fathers based on their psychological distress scores over 10 years of child development, the results showed that two groups best explained the data; this included a group of fathers who experienced low levels of psychological distress over the 10 years of child development (84%), and another group of fathers who experienced heightened psychological distress across this time (16%). Further analysis showed that fathers who had an ongoing medical condition and higher levels of interparental conflict with their partners were more likely to be in the heightened psychological distress group. These findings show that almost one in six fathers deal with persistent psychological distress throughout their child\'s early childhood and into early adolescence. This study advocates for interventions focusing on improving fathers\' physical health and the couple relationship as ways to positively impact fathers\' mental health in the long run.

Supportive maternal and paternal caregiving have been found to be associated with children\'s effortful control abilities. However, many studies did not assess both maternal and paternal parenting in the same analytic model, making it difficult to parse out the unique contributions of mothers versus fathers. Thus, we aimed to simultaneously assess the role of parent gender in associations between observations of supportive caregiving in the preschool years and observations of children\'s effortful control abilities in the early school-age years. At approximately age 3, children (N = 113) participated in videotaped father-child and mother-child interactions, as well as a battery of effortful control tasks. At approximately age 6, children participated in another battery of effortful control tasks. Covariates included parental education, child age, child preschool-age effortful control, and child gender. Structural equation modeling revealed that maternal and paternal supportive caregiving behaviors in the preschool years were independently associated with children\'s school-age effortful control abilities. In sum, we found that supportive caregiving in the preschool years was associated with children\'s early school-age effortful control abilities, regardless of parent gender. Findings have implications for the development of interventions aimed at improving children\'s effortful control abilities through improvements in both paternal and maternal parenting.

BACKGROUND: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses play a crucial role in providing infant care, as well as in bridging the communication gap with parents.
OBJECTIVE: Explore fathers\' perceptions and interactions with nurses during their preterm infants\' stay in a NICU.
METHODS: Qualitative study using ethnographic data collection techniques.
METHODS: Twenty fathers of preterm infants were purposively sampled in a level III NICU in Italy. Data collection comprised 120 h of participant observation, 68 informal conversations, and 20 semi-structured interviews. Data analysis was performed using reflexive thematic analysis.
RESULTS: Analysis revealed five primary themes: (i) communication and clarity about infants\' health condition and progress, (ii) inclusiveness and guidance from nurses, (iii) fathers\' satisfaction with nurses\' support for mother, (iv) nurses\' personal attention to the babies, and (v) nurses\' varied personalities.
CONCLUSIONS: Nurses are crucial in facilitating father-infant bonding in the NICU. Although the content of nurse communication is critical for fathers, the delivery style becomes especially relevant during their infant\'s hospitalization. Discrepancies in messages and guidance can negatively impact fatherly confidence and their ability to care for their preterm infants and support partners. Thus, training that emphasizes the recognition of the unique ways that fathers exhibit distress is crucial.
CONCLUSIONS: Nurses play a critical role in shaping the fathers\' experiences in NICU. Emphasizing clear communication and individualized care is vital. To strengthen father support in NICU settings, recommended approaches include regular training, holistic care, fostering inclusivity, emotional support, and improving bonding opportunities.
UNASSIGNED: Adherence to the COREQ guidelines.

UNASSIGNED: Suicide is a leading cause of death in males aged 25-44 years, an age which often coincides with becoming a father. This review aims to synthesise the evidence of the prevalence of suicidal and self-harm ideation in fathers during the perinatal, postnatal and early parenting period.
UNASSIGNED: Five databases were searched (PsycINFO, Medline, Web of Science, PubMed and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) to identify papers published between 1 January 2000 and 9 March 2023. A meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the prevalence of suicidality and self-harm ideation across the included studies. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were conducted to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 4215 articles were identified, with 14 studies included in the review. The combined pooled prevalence of suicidal and self-harm ideation was 4.2% (95% CI [2.6%, 6.2%]). Prevalence estimates were higher for self-harm ideation at 5.1% (95% CI [2.6%, 6.2%]) than for suicidality at 3% (95% CI [0.9%, 6.1%]).
UNASSIGNED: This review found that a considerable proportion of fathers experience suicidal and self-harm ideation during the early years of parenting. However, the paucity of rigorous prevalence studies indicates that further research in this area is needed urgently.

There are few studies on the parenting of fathers with autism traits. To investigate this issue, we examined the type of parenting performed by fathers with autism traits using data from a nationwide birth cohort study, the Japan Environment and Children\'s Study. Paternal parenting was evaluated by mothers or caregivers when the child was 2 years old. Father\'s autism traits were measured using the Japanese version of the self-administered Autism Spectrum Quotient. Logistic regression analysis was performed to statistically analyze the data. Fathers with autism traits were significantly less likely to prepare meals for their child and helping them eat (adjusted OR (aOR): 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01-1.23), to helping the child change clothes (aOR: 1.17, 95% CI: 1.04-1.31). However, there were no associations between some parenting behaviors and autism traits (not changing diapers, not bathing with the child, and not playing with the child). Father\'s communication skill difficulties by autism traits associated with a lower tendency to perform all types of parenting. Interestingly, there were association between difficulties with social skills or attention-switching and more performing change diapers. These results indicate it is important to respect the child-rearing that fathers with autistic tendencies are able to do, while supporting them in child-rearing that they are significantly less able to do than fathers without autistic tendencies.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that fathers play an important role in the breastfeeding process and that fathers need education about breastfeeding. In our age of rapidly developing technology, the use of new teaching techniques in the education of fathers will provide more effective results.
OBJECTIVE: In this study, the effect of breastfeeding education given with digital storytelling method on fathers\' breastfeeding self-efficacy was examined.
METHODS: The study is a pretest-posttest randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted with the husbands of 80 pregnant women admitted to the childbirth preparation class of a state hospital. The study included a control group and an intervention of educational videos using a digital storytelling technique. Fathers were recruited from hospital antenatal classes and randomized to one of the two groups. Personal Information Form and Paternal Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale-Short Form were used for data collection. Each father completed data collection forms at the beginning of the study and at 3 months postpartum. The η2 effect size was calculated for significant differences in the independent and dependent groups t test methods used in the analysis.
RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the posttest scores of the fathers in the intervention and control groups (p < 0.05). When the effect sizes were analysed, it was found that the increase in the intervention group (t = -24.342) was higher than the control group (t = -8.385).
CONCLUSIONS: In the current study, the effect of using digital storytelling method in breastfeeding education on fathers\' breastfeeding self-efficacy was found to be significantly higher than routine education. It is recommended that this new method be used in education and counselling and that studies be conducted to examine its effect on breastfeeding behaviour and fathers\' breastfeeding support.

BACKGROUND: The arrival of one\'s first child is a known risk factor for mental illness, yet investigations on fathers\' mental health are limited. We conducted a longitudinal investigation on paternal depression and anxiety in the nine years surrounding the transition to fatherhood.
METHODS: Using a national cohort of French men (CONSTANCES, n = 6299), we investigated the prevalence and associated risk factors of mental illness amongst first-time fathers. Responses to the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression (CES-D) and 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scales were used to identify clinically significant symptom scores. Self-declared mental illness was also reported by participants. Group-based modelling was used to identify latent trajectory groups for both measures.
RESULTS: Levels of self-declared anxiety (averaging 4.9 % pre-fatherhood, 7.8 % post) exceeded that of depression (1.9 % pre- fatherhood, 3.3 % post) or other disorders. However, rates of clinically significant symptom scores (17-27 %) were consistently higher. Participants\' mental health appeared to worsen from two-years prior to their child\'s arrival and improve from two-years after. We identified three trajectory groups for fathers\' self-declared mental illness: Low stable (90.3 %); Low risk with high temporary increase (5.6 %); and Consistent high risk (4.1 %). Risk factors associated with worsening mental health trajectories were unemployment, not living with one\'s partner, having had adverse childhood experiences and foregoing healthcare due to financial reasons.
CONCLUSIONS: All measures of mental illness relied on participant self-reports and are thus subject to bias.
CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals an important period of heightened psychological vulnerability amongst first-time fathers, emphasising the need for increased and better adapted paternal mental health screening.

Families of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities often face unique challenges that significantly impact their quality of life. Understanding the predictors of family quality of life (FQOL) is crucial for developing effective support systems and interventions.
OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the predictors that might influence the perception of families having a member with a disability regarding their quality of life (FQOL).
METHODS: The sample consisted of 320 family members from the Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia.
RESULTS: The overall results showed that participants\' satisfaction with FQOL was at a moderate level. Further results indicated that variables associated with severity, type of disability, and the mother\'s age and education were significant predictors of the FQOL.
CONCLUSIONS: These results emphasize the importance of considering the variables that impact FQOL, such as the severity and type of disability, and mother\'s related variables, when directing support to families with a member with a disability. The recommendations and limitations of the study were discussed.

Objective. Childhood overweight/obesity is a serious global public health issue, demanding parental involvement to reverse trends. Despite fathers\' crucial parenting roles, research on fathers and childhood overweight/obesity is limited. This scoping review examines the literature on fathers\' nutrition knowledge and feeding practices with childhood overweight/obesity. Methods. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, and Arksey and O\'Malley (2005) framework, multiple databases were searched. Eligible father-child related studies focused on fathers\' nutrition knowledge, feeding practices, and childhood overweight/obesity. Results. Of 26 eligible articles, 52% originated from the United States, and 44% focused on father-child dyads. Most studies were cross-sectional (64%) and survey-based (68%). Further, 11.5% assessed fathers\' nutrition knowledge, and child feeding practices (53.4%). Conclusion. Literature on fathers\' nutrition knowledge and feeding practices concerning childhood overweight/obesity is limited. Scaling-up fathers\' inclusion in childhood nutrition research is encouraged for the design of holistic interventions.

OBJECTIVE: Little is known about the association of parental cardiovascular risk factors with the risk of obesity in offspring. We aimed to investigate whether parental ideal cardiovascular health (ICVH) status was associated with the risk of general and central obesity in their young/adult offspring.
RESULTS: Of individuals who participated in the 2012-15 phase of the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study, 2395 pairs of parent-unmarried offspring aged ≥6 years were selected in this cross-sectional study. General and central obesity were defined based on Iranian BMI percentile reference data for offspring aged ≤18 years. For subjects aged ≥19 years, central obesity was defined based on the introduced cut-off points for Iranian adults. We employed the American Heart Association\'s 2020 impact goal criteria of ICVH. The mean ± SD age of fathers and mothers were respectively 55.4 ± 9.79 and 48.4 ± 9.88. About 55% of offspring were older than 19 years. Higher adherence to ICVH score in mothers was associated with lower risk of overweight/obesity in female offspring (OR for Q1-Q4: 1, 0.56, 0.57, 0.37, P < 0.05 for all quartiles). Among ICVH components, only ideal BMI status in fathers was observed to be associated with a lower risk of overweight/obesity in their male offspring. The risk of abdominal obesity decreased in female offspring with increasing total ICVH score in mothers.
CONCLUSIONS: Higher adherence of parents to ICVH and its components was positively associated with a lower risk of general and abdominal obesity in their offspring. Our findings demonstrate that maternal-offspring relationship was stronger than paternal-offspring association.