[EQ] Fatherhood and health outcomes in Europe

Fatherhood and health outcomes in Europe

 

WHO Regional Office for Europe - Copenhagen, Denmark – 2008

 

Available online as PDF file [40p.] at: http://www.euro.who.int/document/e91129.pdf

 

“…….What is known about fatherhood and reproductive health? How can men, by being more involved in parenting, contribute to better health outcomes for themselves and their children and partners? What factors affect men’s involvement in parenthood and reproductive health positively? The report Fatherhood and health outcomes explores these issues. The report is based on a literature review with a special focus on fatherhood in Europe.

 

Examination of the research literature shows, generally speaking, that increased involvement by men in fatherhood can benefit men, as well as women and children, in the form of better health. For example, men can give important psychological and emotional support to the woman during pregnancy

and delivery. This, in turn, can reduce pain, panic and exhaustion during delivery. Studies have also shown that men’s involvement in maternal and child health programmes can reduce maternal and child mortality during pregnancy and labour by being prepared, for example, for obstetric emergencies.

However, increased involvement in fatherhood can also benefit men’s own health and well-being.

 

……The support for men’s increased involvement in parenthood and reproductive health also depends on more multifaceted support from the welfare state and employment. For example, numerous studies have showed that a generous parental leave system, enabling longer paid parental leave, gives parents better opportunities to combine work and family life; several studies have found that this positively affects both gender equality and health outcomes. However, this support varies greatly between the different countries in Europe but generally is very poor. The same situation applies to employment, where fathers most often are not seen as parents and therefore get limited support for combining work and family life….”

 

Content
Executive Summary

Introduction

Structure

Fatherhood and reproductive health

• Becoming a father and maternal and child health care

• Planning to become a parent

• Men and antenatal care

• Men’s presence during delivery

• Fatherhood and positive health outcomes for women

• Special groups – special needs

• Parents who are immigrants

• Fatherhood, poor economic conditions and class

• Adolescent fathers

• Summary

Managing fathering: on fatherhood and health in everyday life

• The meaning of fatherhood and how it affects men’s health

Combining work and family life

• Fatherhood and parental leave

• Gender differences in adapting work to family life

• Work – family boundaries – affecting well-being and health

• Fathers’ influence on the health of their children

• Summary

Summary and Conclusions

References

 

 

This review is a result of collaboration between the Department of Gender, Women and Health of WHO and the Gender and Health Programme, WHO Regional Office for Europe, under the

overall guidance of Peju Olukoya, Coordinator, Department of Gender, Women and Health and Isabel Yordi Aguirre, Technical Officer, Gender and Health Programme, WHO Regional Office for Europe. Lars Plantin of Malmö University, Sweden, who authored the report with the support of the Swedish Expertise Fund to WHO. Contributions were also made by Gary Barker, Instituto Promundo, Brazil; Kirsten Vogelson, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, WHO; Eva Margareta Wallstam, Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and a former WHO staff member; and Sven-Axel Månsson, Sara Johnsdotter, Aje Carlbom and Charlotta Holmström, Faculty of Health and Society, Malmö University, Sweden.

 

 

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