| Author: | Wong, Wai In |
| Title: | Study on fathers’ involvement during pregnancy and after childbirth- a qualitative study |
| Advisors: | Chan, Ko-ling Edward (APSS) |
| Degree: | DHSc |
| Year: | 2023 |
| Subject: | Husband and wife -- China -- Hong Kong Pregnancy -- Psychological aspects Childbirth -- Psychological aspects Fathers -- China -- Hong Kong Hong Kong Polytechnic University -- Dissertations |
| Department: | Faculty of Health and Social Sciences |
| Pages: | xvii, 314 pages : color illustrations |
| Language: | English |
| Abstract: | The influence of fathers’ involvement on pregnant women, babies, and the whole family is uncertain. This study aimed to fill these gaps by exploring various aspects of fathers’ involvement in association with promoting family-centred care during pregnancy. Previous studies of pregnancy have focused on women and their babies and a considerable number of studies have shown that the presence of fathers during pregnancy has a great impact on maternal and child development (Chung, 2021; Redshaw & Henderson, 2013). The aim of this study was to shed light on and gain an understanding of the experiences of Hong Kong fathers during the period from their partner’s pregnancy to after childbirth. A concurrent aim was to explore aspects of fathers’ involvement and the subsequent effects on the mother and child. In particular, in 2022, the coronavirus 2019 pandemic worsened in Hong Kong, and the number of confirmed cases increased sharply during the fifth wave of the outbreak. Most pregnant women and their families have worried about being infected with the coronavirus (Mortazavi et al., 2021), and this has affected their day-to-day lives. In view of this phenomenon and its significant implications, the grounded theory was used to determine the effect of a father’s involvement in pregnancy and childbirth. A sample of pregnant women and their partners who were attending an antenatal clinic together were invited to express their feelings during an interview. The “family-centred care” model in pregnancy was conceptualised using constant comparisons and memoing. The family-centred care model in pregnancy is a model describing the connections between all family members and their effects. During pregnancy and after childbirth, fathers learnt a lot, matured with the environmental changes, and gained more confidence than they had before the pregnancy. It was found that when women became pregnant, all family members became involved in the process, with the main aim of generating a better outcome for the children. Fathers’ involvement during pregnancy and after childbirth may enhance men’s health and family well-being. Men showed improvements in psychological aspects and their sense of belonging during this period. Their experiences throughout pregnancy helped enhance their health literacy and health consciousness. After delivery, fathers spent most of their time with their families, which strengthened paternal bonding with their babies. In this study, fathers were found to successfully express their love for their families. The implications of the findings of this study to the nursing field are also discussed. The findings also emphasize the father’s role in the family. Thus, nursing staff should be aware of the importance of fathers participating in pregnancy and after childbirth, and should make an effort to use a family-centred model when approaching their clients. It is recommended that future studies by healthcare professionals in the field of obstetrics should focus on the involvement of fathers during pregnancy and after childbirth. |
| Rights: | All rights reserved |
| Access: | restricted access |
Files in This Item:
| File | Description | Size | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7301.pdf | For All Users (off-campus access for PolyU Staff & Students only) | 2.85 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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