Introduction: Previous international studies found that men who father their first child at younger ages have worse health outcomes relative to those who postpone having children. This association has not been studied in the U.S.

Objective: To estimate the associations of age of fathers at the birth of their first child with cardiovascular health (CVH), cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, and all-cause mortality.

Methods: CARDIA is a prospective cohort study which enrolled Black and White individuals aged 18-30 years at baseline (1985-86). CVH was defined using the Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) scores (0-100). Associations were estimated using multivariable linear regression and Cox proportional hazard models adjusting for age, race, education, marital status, and alcohol use.

Results: In this sample of 1140 biological fathers, CVH scores for fathers who were age <20 (adjusted mean CVH score at exam year 7 [Y7]=69.9; Y20=66.8) and 20-24 years old (Y7=70.2; Y20=65.8) at the birth of their first child were lower (worse) than fathers who were 30-34 years old (Y7=74.0, Y20=70.9) (all p<0.05). Fathers who were <20 (HR=7.3; 95%CI: 1.5-35.1), 20-24 (HR=6.0; 95%CI: 1.3-27.9) and 25-29 (HR=6.0; 95%CI: 1.3-26.5) years old at the birth of their first child had a higher adjusted rate of all-cause mortality relative to first-time fathers age 30-34; there was no difference in the adjusted CVD event rate.

Conclusion: Earlier fatherhood is associated with worse CVH and higher mortality rates. Clinical and public health interventions that focus on young fathers may have important health impacts for men across their life course.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing public health concern in the US that disproportionally affects minority communities. Latino youth consume higher sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) and engage less in physical activity. Behavioral interventions focusing on healthy energy balance-related behaviors can prevent obesogenic behaviors, however, few studies have focused on fathers and youth.

Methods: To address this gap, a culturally grounded program, The Padres Preparados, Jóvenes Saludables, was developed following the principles of Community-Based Participatory Research. The program was delivered to father-adolescent dyads in trusted community-based settings in a Midwestern metropolitan area. This research examines the SSB and other energy balance-related outcomes of a two-arm (treatment and delayed-treatment) randomized controlled trial. The outcomes were analyzed longitudinally, at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and three months post-intervention (T3).

Results: Father-adolescent dyads (n=147) were randomized to the intervention group (n=77) or delayed-treatment control group (n=70) and attended eight in-person, 2.5-hour weekly educational sessions delivered by trained bilingual educators. Significant results were evident for fathers’ SSB consumption (p=0.02) between the intervention and control groups from T1 to T3. Findings suggest that the parenting program had intended, small positive effects on fathers’ behavior.

Conclusions: Even though family systems theory suggests that change on one member’s part can affect other members, youth may not experience change even though parents believe some change happened. Additional social determinants and context-specific interventions are needed to support these families better.

Background: While healthy father engagement contributes to positive health outcomes among children, systems that serve them do not engage in father focused practices. Interviews from providers addressed these questions: 1) what barriers do they experience toward engaging fathers in services; 2) how do barriers impact ability to engage them in services and refer to father-focused services; and 3) what is needed to mitigate barriers?

Methods: Community health worker (CHW) and current leader of the Commonwealth Center for Fathers and Families (CCFF) notified service providers via email about the study in 2021. Providers contacted research staff to schedule a semi-structured interview. Each interview was transcribed and coded following the thematic analytic approach.

Results: Caucasian and African American service providers (N=24) representing different systems revealed two major themes: 1) barriers to father engagement and 2) strategies to mitigate them. Three types of barriers were discussed: micro (biases, colorblindness), societal (devaluation of fathers’ role), and systemic (racism, mother-centrism, lack of funding and benefits). These barriers explained why providers do not make referrals for fathers to engage in services at CCFF.

Conclusions: Data illuminated strategies to address barriers: strength-based practices, creating spaces to engage in reflexivity, and investing in father-focused programming. The CHW leader will disseminate his work related to CCFF and dedication to increasing father involvement as a pathway to promote justice. Data indicate that additional research is needed to determine: 1) what conditions are necessary to implement provider recommendations, and 2) effects of delivering culturally relevant father-focused training across systems.

Background

Recent studies on men’s preconception care, health, and paternal preconception risk factors for adverse birth outcomes indicate that more men need to understand preconception care and the paternal factors that contribute to adverse birth outcomes. The studies’ sample populations ranged between 9.3%-14.1% African American men. Research is needed to understand Black men/fathers’ perceptions and knowledge of preconception health, reproductive health, fatherhood, and maternal loss.

Methods

Six focus groups are conducted with Black men. Eligibility criteria are Black/African American fathers, ages 18-45, who live in 8 Brooklyn communities and have a child eligible for or involved with TANF, Head Start/Early Head Start, or child care assistance programs. The Integrated Behavioral Model concepts guided the development of 38 focus group questions on preconception health, reproductive health, maternal loss, and fatherhood. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim using Otter.ai. Transcripts were coded and analyzed using Atlas.ti.

Results

Six focus groups were conducted via Zoom with 60 Black fathers who live in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Canarsie, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, East New York, Flatbush, and Fort Greene in Brooklyn, NY. Focus group themes on preconception health, reproductive health care, and maternal loss regarding knowledge, attitudes, subjective norms, behavioral beliefs, perceived normative beliefs, and behavioral controls and intentions will be presented. Preliminary results indicate a lack of knowledge regarding preconception health and reproductive health care for men.

Discussion

Black fathers' voices are needed to develop culturally responsive, male-centered programs on preconception health, reproductive health care, and support services related to maternal loss for men.

Overview: Racial disparities in infant mortality are significant and persistent issues that highlight the broader inequalities in health outcomes across different racial and ethnic groups. In the United States, Black infants have consistently higher mortality rates than babies of other racial and ethnic identities. This study aims to delve into the lived experiences of Black fathers who have experienced perinatal or postpartum loss to understand their unique grief processes, coping methods, mental health challenges, and experiences with post-traumatic growth in the wake of child loss aligned with the Black maternal health crisis.

Methods: Data were collected to explore and understand Black fathers' experiences of loss, grief and coping within the context of cultural and societal influences of fatherhood. Data also examined their interactions with healthcare providers, hospital systems, and explored their insight for other Black fathers with shared experiences.

Results: Findings describe comprehensive and multi-faceted depths of experiences based on themes that expound on narratives of grief processing, adaptive and maladaptive coping mechanisms, commonalities and diversity in shared experiences, societal norms of masculinity and fatherhood that impact grief expressions, and perceptions of the broader maternal health crisis that disproportionately impacts Black families living in the United States.

Discussion: This study highlights the complex, nuanced grief experiences of Black fathers, echoing existing literature that underscores racial disparities in perinatal outcomes and bereavement experiences. By focusing on Black fathers, this study fills a critical gap in the research, which has traditionally marginalized paternal experiences of loss, particularly within this racial group.

Introduction: Uganda has a highest fertility rate with 33% deliveries as preterm needing KC for survival, No community follow up program. Neonatal mortality rate being 35% . 80% of fathers run away. 3051 babies being followed.

Background: The Preterm Infant Parents Network Uganda (PINU) is implementing Kangaroo Care, father involvement and home follow up of verysick at home using “Family-Led Care model”

Implementation is within 2 National Referral Hospitals and 2 Lower Health Center in Uganda.

Objective; To reduce 500 deaths weekly and 50% of the discharged babies that die at home due to lack of community-based follow-up programs

Results

60 Village ambassadors has been identified-trained

12 virtual platforms for constant engagement

Collaborations with Ministry Health Uganda and its partners and ATTA breast milk community

The capacity building videos have been produced and distributed to health facilities

Revitalized 4 KMC Work Improvement Teams using quality improvement methodology

Community level reporting forms supporting M&E and the father care groups reporting monthly

Built family confidence and an active link to the health system.

Provided monitoring forms for families to track number of areas.

Conclusions

The Family-Led Care model is an effective model and increased father involvement (34% to 52%)

A fathers’ psychological well-being and interpersonal behavior are vital to family stability and child health. When fathers are healthy and supportive, they diminish the typical and atypical challenges that accompany pregnancy and motherhood. While most young men want to be good partners and parents, a high percentage are at risk for mental health problems, including substance use abuse (16%) and violence (14%) and paternal disengagement (23%). Despite their heightened risk for mental health and social challenges, young men (ages 18-25) are the least likely demographic group to seek and/or receive mental health treatment. This gap in services sets the stage for a lifetime of preventable problems for families and communities. This presentation proposes that (1) prenatal healthcare is an under-utilized window of opportunity for engaging with and helping men who are about to become fathers and (2) the perinatal period is an optimal time to prepare young men for adult roles, including coparenting and parenting. We will describe the Young Parenthood Program (YPP), an evidence-based program designed to help expectant fathers care for their baby and support their partner, regardless of the couple’s relationship status. A case study will help illustrate how YPP can be flexibly applied to meet the needs of fathers in different social and cultural contexts. A brief description of research finding will help demonstrate the utility of this approach for supporting family health and highlight the need to build a public health/mental health workforce trained to effectively engage and work with their young men.

Background: There are an estimated 18.3 million children who live without a father in their home in the US. When fathers are absent, children are more likely to enter the juvenile justice system, live in poverty, drop out of school, and engage in risky behaviors such as substance use. More than 2 million incarcerated men in the US are fathers. Fathers’ experiences with the criminal justice system are not well understood. We aimed to qualitatively examine fathers’ experiences inter-facing with the criminal justice system to foster their engagement.

Methods: Data come from a community-engaged qualitative study examining fathers’ barriers and opportunities to participate in their children’s lives. We conducted 5 focus groups among fathers (N=17) who completed a father-focused parenting program in Lexington, Kentucky (2021-2022). Focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded using a constant comparative methodology.

Results: Trauma, stigma, and discrimination limits fathers’ engagement. Fathers described exclusion and unequal opportunities in the the criminal justice system. Substance use, employment, housing, work schedules, and challenges navigating systems to receive needed care and services compound these limitations. A father-focused parenting program provided fathers with critical resources to engage with the criminal justice system.

Conclusions: We must recognize the role of fathers and promote their engagement. Our findings indicate that despite substantial challenges interfacing with the criminal justice system fathers remain committed to their children and families. Father-centered interventions are needed to change policies and practices limiting fathers’ engagement.

Background: Black men bore a disproportionate burden of pandemic-related health
consequences. Although Black male coaches who work with low-income youth athletes often
fulfill the dual and often competing roles of social and biological fatherhood, research examining
the disruptive effects of the pandemic on these roles and possible health effects is sparse.

Objectives: To examine the coaching, familial, and health experiences of black male coaches
during the pandemic and elucidate the effects of the pandemic on these domains.

Methods: A grounded theory approach was used to conduct 7 interviews (2 focus groups and 5
individual interviews) among Black coaches in Missouri and Georgia from October to November
2020 [N=10]. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed.

Results: Four emergent themes - coaching context and orientation towards coaching,
perceptions of Black men’s health and well-being perceived positive and negative
pandemic effects and adaptive behavioral health responses- summarized coaches
experiences with and effects of the pandemic. Many coaches prioritized spending quality time
with their biological families to the detriment of their social fatherhood roles. They also
experienced poorer physical and mental health effects that stemmed from adapting to and
managing many competing responsibilities in a rapidly evolving climate of sport, coaching and
teaching.

Conclusion: The pandemic allowed Black coaches to focus on their own and their family's
health, possibly at the expense of their social fathering roles, impacting athletes who relied on
them for support during a challenging time. Structures that bolster and support coaches'
multifaceted roles are needed.