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330629
Impact of Champion for Children's Boot Camp for New Dads Program on Father's Confidence Towards Parenting


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Casey McBride, B.S., College of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Karen Liller, PhD, College of Public Health, Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Carla L. VandeWeerd, PhD, Department of Industrial and Management Systems Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL
Martha L. Coulter, DrPH MPH MSW, Department of Community and Family Health, University of South Florida, College of Public Health, Tampa, FL
Amy Haile, Champions for Children, Tampa, FL
John Roth, MSW, Champions for Children, Tampa, FL
Lilia Cruz, Champions for Children, Tampa, FL
Background: Maternal and child health research strongly supports the role for fathers in the health of mothers and babies. Unfortunately, few prenatal programs exist to prepare expectant fathers for the unique challenges they will face, including building parent-infant bonds and involvement throughout the child’s lifespan.  Responding to these needs, the educational program Boot Camp for New Dads (BCND) was developed in the US in 1990. BCND is unique in that past participants return with their infants to help facilitate sessions.  Evaluations are needed to determine the program’s success.

Purpose: To evaluate the BCND program conducted by Champions for Children in Hillsborough County, Florida, by assessing fathers’ parenting confidence, pre- and post-program.

Methods: Surveys containing eight questions measuring perceived confidence to maintain infant and mother wellbeing were distributed, pre- and post-session, to 89 BCND participants from March-September, 2014. T-tests and an ANOVA were used to determine statistical differences in means and the role for socioeconomic status (SES).

Results: Eighty-five surveys were completed (95.5%). T-tests revealed a statistically significant difference between pre-session and post-session average confidence for all participants (p<.0001). The ANOVA revealed that there was a statistically significant difference in initial average confidence between SES groups (p<.0012). A comparison of means showed that the lower SES groups had higher pre-session confidence. No statistically significant difference was found between SES groups and post-session confidence.

Conclusions: BCND contributed to an increase in confidence levels immediately post-session, regardless of SES.  Further evaluation is needed to determine the long-term impact on fathers’ parenting confidence.

Learning Areas:

Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Program planning
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate the immediate impact of a prenatal fatherhood program has on parenting confidence.

Keyword(s): Community-Based Partnership & Collaboration, MCH Epidemiology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a graduate student conducting an evaluation of Champion for Children's Boot Camp for New Dads program under the direct supervision of Dr. Karen Liller and Dr. Carla Vandeweerd. My research interests are the social determinants of health disparities and the epidemiology of adverse pregnancy outcomes.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 4382.0: Data & Epi Poster Session