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Journal Article Introduction: Interventions aimed at the formation of healthy lifestyles at an early age could be an effective tool to reduce obesity levels in schoolchildren.
Objective: To evaluate the effect of an intervention in diet and physical activity (PA) in reducing obesity in schoolchildren.
Methods: A total of 312 schoolchildren participated in this intervention, which was applied for five months. Workshops were developed for the family and children with educational material based on Chilean food guides, together with 45 minutes of PA daily. Nutritional status was assessed with…
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Journal Article In this article, we address the question of how boys whose fathers are absent construct an image of fatherhood. Drawing on the stories told by three boys whose fathers are absent, we explore how the boys, in the relation with their mothers, siblings and others, construct and negotiate an image of fatherhood, including how they envisage themselves to be as fathers in the future. The data material consists of life-mode interviews with the boys and their mothers. Theoretically, we are inspired by social constructionism and cultural psychology. We find that the boys aspire to become fathers who…
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Journal Article It is now the expectation within the UK that fathers will be actively involved in the birth and care of their offspring; they will be “involved fathers”. However, studies have shown that a gap exists between this expectation and the reality. Using qualitative and quantitative techniques this study aims to explore the reasons for this disparity by documenting the experiences of 15 first-time fathers over an 8 month period from 7 months gestation to 6 months post-birth. Analysis of questionnaire and interview data produces five key themes which give insight into some of the reasons for the gap…
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Journal Article The "My Brother's Keeper" initiative (Obama, 2014) has helped to attract public attention to the vulnerabilities faced by many boys of color (BOC). In this article, I review what is known about the developmental status of BOC, identify key family practices that are critical to their development, and consider the implications of both for early intervention. The lack of school readiness skills and early reading competence are seen as the most serious early concerns. BOC struggle with language, literacy, and the regulation of behavior and emotions. These problems are evident at school entry,…
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Journal Article Increasing the involvement of fathers in child safeguarding is an issue which has seen relatively little practice innovation in mainstream services. This article concerns a bold attempt to improve practice in this domain through a systemic approach. Key findings are presented from an evaluation of a Fatherhood Institute project in six English local authorities. The intervention was positively received and the self-efficacy of children's services staff improved on most measures as a result of training. However, not all planned aspects of the project could be implemented. The article reflects…
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Journal Article Fathers’ parenting behavior is a likely key mechanism underlying the consistent associations between paternal mental health difficulties and poor emotional–behavioral outcomes for children. This study investigates the association between fathers’ mental health trajectories and key parenting behaviors (warmth, hostility, consistency) spanning the first 8–9 years postpartum. Secondary analyses of 5 waves of data from 2,662 fathers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were conducted. Latent growth class analysis was used to identify distinct trajectories of fathers’…
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Journal Article Extant research on parental involvement in education has been conducted largely without respect to which parent is involved. The implicit assumption is that family–school relationship frameworks function similarly for fathers and mothers. Although there is a growing body of research examining fathers’ involvement in education, this assumption has not been tested. In this meta-analysis, we examined the relative strength of the association between educational involvement of fathers versus mothers and achievement of school-age children (kindergarten to 12th grade). The association of…
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Journal Article Mobile technology presents an exciting opportunity for social workers to reach populations that are typically underserved by interventions and services. We present one application of technology that is particularly relevant to social work practice. The mDad (Mobile Device Assisted Dad) app was developed to augment existing social work practices by providing a father-friendly tool to help new fathers learn about and engage with their infants and toddlers. We discuss the process of developing the app content and conducting usability testing of the mDad app. We conclude with a discussion of the…
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Journal Article OBJECTIVE: To describe interactive activities between parents and young children in a nationally representative sample. We hypothesized that the frequency of participation in interactive activities would be different across economic strata and would be associated with developmental delay.METHODS: Children 4 to 36 months of age were identified by using The National Survey of Children’s Health 2011–2012. Interactive caregiving practices were reported by poverty status. Developmental concerns were derived from caregiver responses and scoring of the Parents Evaluation of Developmental Status.…
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Journal Article This longitudinal study examined how relative contributions to the division of childcare are related to individual and relational outcomes across the first 2 years of the transition to parenthood. Data were collected from a large sample of first-time parents 6 weeks before the birth of their child and then at 6, 12, 18, and 24 months postpartum. The results revealed that certain individual differences-especially gender and attachment avoidance-shape individual reactions to childcare, above and beyond the proportion of childcare tasks that partners report completing. Women and less avoidantly…
