Centre for Mental Health, Sport and Physical Activity Research, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk L39 4QP, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2024 Jul 9;21(7):890. doi: 10.3390/ijerph21070890.
This paper addresses an under-explored area of sociologically oriented health research, namely, the mental health and physical activity (PA) experiences of new fathers. Drawing upon responses to an online qualitative survey from 32 fathers, aged 18 or over, and living in the UK, we show how the decline in these fathers' overall PA was associated with poor mental health and the changing constraints that characterised their increasingly complex networks of interdependence. These constraints corresponded with shifts in fathers' PA engagement from team sports towards individualised, flexible, and more recreationally oriented lifestyle activities like running and the gym. Fathers' engagement in these activities appeared to exacerbate the complex feelings of guilt and isolation that they already encountered as new fathers. These experiences were simultaneously associated with feelings of shame associated with being insufficiently active and fearing judgement about their engagement in fathering responsibilities. The paper has important policy implications, highlighting the need for tailored support for new fathers in the perinatal period, and implications for practice, suggesting that co-produced community-based PA programmes are potentially effective settings for engaging new fathers in PA and promoting their mental health.
本文探讨了社会学导向的健康研究中一个尚未得到充分探讨的领域，即新父亲的心理健康和身体活动（PA）体验。本研究依据英国 32 位年龄在 18 岁及以上的新父亲的在线定性调查回复，展示了这些父亲整体身体活动减少如何与心理健康状况不佳以及不断变化的限制因素相关，这些限制因素与他们日益复杂的相互依存关系网络中的变化相对应。这些限制因素对应着父亲的 PA 参与从团队运动向个体化、灵活化和更具娱乐性的生活方式活动（如跑步和健身房）的转变。父亲们参与这些活动似乎加剧了他们作为新父亲已经面临的复杂的内疚和孤立感。这些经历同时与因活动不足而感到羞耻以及担心对其履行育儿责任的评判有关。本文具有重要的政策意义，强调了在围产期为新父亲提供定制支持的必要性，并对实践产生影响，表明共同制定的社区为基础的 PA 计划是吸引新父亲参与 PA 并促进其心理健康的潜在有效场所。
