Factors influencing first-time fathers' involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth: A correlational study

Objective: To examine factors influencing first-time fathers' involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth in Singapore. Design and setting: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted in a public tertiary hospital in Singapore. Participants: A total of 182 first-time fathers whose wives were hospitalized at four obstetric wards were recruited from November 2015 to January 2016. Measurements: Data were collected by three newly developed and validated instruments, namely Father's Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth, Father's Informational and Sources of Support, and Father's Attitude Towards Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth, as well as the 16-item Couple Satisfaction Index and Family of Origin Questionnaire. Findings: The participants were generally involved in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth, with 35.2% being highly involved. There was no significant difference in fathers' levels of involvement between or among any sociodemographic subgroups. Significant Spearman's correlations were found between fathers' levels of involvement and levels of informational support as well as fathers' attitudes towards involvement. However, the logistic regression showed the level of informational support was the only significant factor that influenced first-time fathers' high levels of involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth. Key conclusion: The study revealed the importance of providing sufficient informational support to first-time fathers so that they can be highly involved in their wife's pregnancy and childbirth. Future studies can develop technology-based intervention programmes to improve fathers' involvement in their wife's pregnancy and childbirth. Implications for practice: Healthcare professionals should examine and improve the existing informational support for first-time fathers and ensure its relevance and convenient access.