Shorey Shefaly, Ang Lina, Goh Esther C L, Lopez Violeta
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, National University Health System, Level 2, Clinical Research Centre, Block MD11, 10 Medical Drive, 117597 Singapore.
Alice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore.
Midwifery. 2019 Mar;70:7-14. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2018.12.003. Epub 2018 Dec 3.
This study aims to understand paternal involvement within the six-month postpartum period to identify the challenges and needs of Singaporean fathers.
The study used a descriptive qualitative design.
This research is a follow-up study of 50 first-time and experienced fathers who were originally interviewed in the early postpartum period. Fathers were recruited from a local public hospital in Singapore.
Individual semi-structured interviews using an interview guide were conducted at six months postpartum with the fathers. The interview recordings were transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis.
Four major themes emerged from the analysis: (1) fathers' understanding of their involvement at six months postpartum, (2) challenges of paternal involvement, (3) impact on marital relationship, and (4) needs of fathers. The respondent fathers were determined to be motivated differently during this timepoint as compared to at one week postpartum, but hindrances from work commitments and the presence of support limited paternal involvement. Strained marital relationship and sexual needs surfaced in this study. One father reported to be at risk for depression. Co-parenting practices buffered against marital dissatisfaction. Moreover, the informational needs of fathers differed at one week and six months postpartum.
This follow-up study revealed that the concerns and needs of fathers continue to emerge in accordance with their infants' growth and needs in different postpartum periods. Necessary assistance in the form of long-term follow-ups and online educational resources may be dynamic in supporting the emerging needs of fathers.
Healthcare professionals should engage in interventions that are dynamic in suiting fathers' needs at different time points and cultural contexts.
本研究旨在了解产后六个月内父亲的参与情况，以确定新加坡父亲面临的挑战和需求。
本研究采用描述性定性设计。
本研究是对50名初为人父者和有经验的父亲的随访研究，他们最初是在产后早期接受访谈的。这些父亲是从新加坡一家当地公立医院招募的。
在产后六个月对父亲们进行了使用访谈指南的个人半结构化访谈。访谈录音被转录并采用主题分析法进行分析。
分析得出四个主要主题：（1）父亲对其产后六个月参与情况的理解，（2）父亲参与的挑战，（3）对婚姻关系的影响，以及（4）父亲的需求。与产后一周相比，受访父亲在这个时间点的积极性有所不同，但工作承诺带来的阻碍和支持的存在限制了父亲的参与。本研究中出现了紧张的婚姻关系和性需求。一位父亲报告有抑郁风险。共同育儿做法缓解了婚姻不满。此外，父亲在产后一周和六个月的信息需求有所不同。
这项随访研究表明，父亲的担忧和需求会随着婴儿在不同产后阶段的成长和需求而持续出现。以长期随访和在线教育资源形式提供的必要帮助可能会动态地支持父亲不断出现的需求。
医疗保健专业人员应开展能动态适应父亲在不同时间点和文化背景下需求的干预措施。
