Exploring Partners' Part in Shaping the Home Food Environment During the Transition to Fatherhood.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate primiparous women's partners for knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding the physical home food environment (PHFE), and to assess if the first pregnancy provides a teachable opportunity to enhance the PHFE of first-time pregnant couples.

DESIGN

This was a two-phase longitudinal in-depth qualitative study involving questionnaires and individual interviews during and after pregnancy.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifteen male partners of primigravida women.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors concerning PHFE; lifestyle and dietary habits; and interest in guidance regarding healthy PHFE during the first pregnancy and the transition to parenthood. Analysis involved descriptive statistics and thematic analysis for qualitative data.

RESULTS

Key findings include the importance of mutual prenatal PHFE decisions; increased motivation for a healthier PHFE during pregnancy; a desire to provide a healthier environment than their own parents offered, acknowledgement of their wives as 'nutrition experts'; challenges in accessibility of health foods in the home; and 'the child eats what we eat'. The first pregnancy was recognized as a critical period for establishing a healthy PHFE.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Expectant fathers have a crucial role in nestrition (nutritional nesting) in first pregnancies. Their engagement is essential in establishing a more supportive nutritional environment in the home and influencing the family nutrition in the long term. There is a need to promote partner involvement, investigate the broader roles of expectant fathers and non-male partners, and develop effective PHFE education for couples in the first pregnancy.