Abstract
To explore fathers' experiences with a Norwegian home visiting program during the prenatal period and the first-year postpartum. Qualitative design with interpretive description (ID) as the methodological approach. Individual interviews with fathers (n=13) who received home visits by a public health nurse (PHN) within the New Families home visiting program. Interviews were guided by a semi-structured interview-guide, which contained open-ended questions encouraging informants to reflect on their experiences with home visits. The analysis of the data was informed by content analysis. Two main themes that reflect the fathers' experiences emerged: (1) The importance of being on their home ground captures the fathers' experience of receiving home visits and building a trusting relationship with the PHN. (2) Including fathers in the home visit represents their thoughts about the content and focus of the home visits. Fathers experienced the universal New Families home visiting program as an important contribution towards a more available and tailored service, with the home environment as a suitable arena for developing a trusting relationship with the PHN. However, the fathers often felt insufficiently included in the home visits, with only scant attention towards them as independent caregivers, their emotional reactions, roles, and family relationships. Pre-birth home visits might contribute to strengthening preparations for fatherhood and increase fathers' engagement in the Child Health Service.
Highlights
The transition to parenthood involves psychological changes, new roles, expectations, life focus, and change in one’s relationship with one’s partner (Baldwin et al, 2019; Condon et al, 2004; Darwin et al, 2017; Shorey & Chan, 2020)
Inclusion criteria were fathers participating in the ongoing NF study who had agreed to be contacted for follow-up studies, had received at least one NF home visit from a public health nurse (PHN), had a 1-year-old child and mastery of English or a Scandinavian language
We report in accordance with the COREQ checklist (Tong et al, 2007)
Summary
The transition to parenthood involves psychological changes, new roles, expectations, life focus, and change in one’s relationship with one’s partner (Baldwin et al, 2019; Condon et al, 2004; Darwin et al, 2017; Shorey & Chan, 2020). Studies have shown that fathers require support in this transition (Carlson et al, 2014; Hrybanova et al, 2019). While the Child Health Services (CHS) have traditionally been aimed at supporting mothers and children, today’s service providers are expected to have a family perspective. The CHS is part of Norway’s municipal health services and is used by 98% of families (Statistics Norway, 2021). It is voluntary, universal, free, and focused on health promotion and primary prevention, aimed at pregnancy and families with newborns and children aged five and under (Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2020). The public health nurse (PHN) plays a key role in the service (Norwegian Directorate of Health, 2020)
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