6th Edition of World Nursing Science Conference 2026

Abstract

Several studies report that men, just like women, go through a complex emotional upheaval when they are about to become parents and that men need support to be able to tackle parenthood in the best way possible. Most studies on pregnancy and childbirth address mothers, thus focusing mainly on the importance of motherhood and the relationship between mother and child. Studies on guidance from health professionals have concentrated chiefly on how mothers can be helped to improve their parental skills. While the focus on fathers and fathering has gained momentum over the past 20–30 years, inadequate acknowledgment of fathers as equal parents remains a central concern.

Fathers’ problems risk being overlooked because they manifest in ways that neither the fathers themselves nor health professionals necessarily recognize as related to fatherhood. Society does not always “notice” when men need help because many men are socialized to conceal and distort their feelings. Therefore, men’s unacknowledged problems and unrecognized needs are of central importance (Madsen et al., 2002; Reinicke, 2012).

This presentation deals with a qualitative study addressing the extent to which parenting courses attended by both the mother and the father constitute an appealing institutional service for first-time fathers and whether they find them helpful in tackling the challenges they face during pregnancy and after birth.

More specifically, the study is guided by the following questions.

1. How do parenting courses mothers and fathers attend constitute an appealing institutional service for first-time fathers?

2. How beneficial do fathers perceive parenting courses to be in addressing the challenges they encounter during pregnancy and postpartum?

3. What are the obstacles when motivating men to participate in activities targeted at fathers?

The presentation also explores difficulties in recruiting fathers to such courses and ensuring their continued attendance since men’s masculinity dilemmas can affect how much they are willing to seek help and complete such courses. The findings indicated that fathers’ sense of responsibility and awareness of their role as fathers in their children’s lives was strengthened, and overall, they were satisfied with the topics addressed during the course and with the teaching. Strong networks were formed among some of the parents at the parenting course. Caution is called for when drawing general conclusions about the benefits of such courses for first-time parents, as they are seldom attended by parents with minority ethnic backgrounds or by vulnerable and underprivileged parents.