Fathers

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to illuminate the meanings of the lived experiences of support as disclosed by fathers of children with congenital heart defect (CHD). Narrative interviews were conducted individually with five fathers of children diagnosed with CHD. Methods: A phenomenological-hermeneutic method was used to interpret the verbatim transcribed narrative interviews.

Aim: To gain insight into the post-discharge experiences of parents in relation to the adequacy of preparation for caring for extremely premature infants at home.

Method: A narrative approach was drawn on to facilitate data collection, through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with 14 parents of extremely premature infants.

There is a possibility that front-line services, particularly out-of-hours services, are not accessible to some parents. The aim of this service evaluation was to gain a better understanding about visits to one emergency department (ED) in the south of England by children and their parents or carers. The specific focus was to elucidate the reasons behind frequent ED attendance and indicate a potential redesign of services.Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 parents.

Background: Historically, research exploring the impact of having a child with an Intellectual Disability (ID), has focussed exclusively on mothers. The present study aimed to investigate fathers’ experiences of parenting a child with Down's syndrome (DS), their contributions, influences on family functioning and inclusion in their child's support provision.

Most studies on the quality of life of caregivers of children with cystic fibrosis (CF) have focused on the mental health of mothers, reflecting a biased underlying assumption that mothers are the primary caregivers. The aim of this study was to explore the experience of fathers caring for a child with CF. Twenty fathers of children with CF were studied via a semi-structured interview using Husserl's (1970) descriptive phenomenology. Fathers were enrolled from two accredited CF centers in Texas.

This study uses Australian survey data to explore whether caring for children and young people with disabilities affects paid employment participation of fathers who identify as the secondary caregiver. More fathers in the study were in full-time employment than those in the general Australian population, but they worked fewer hours, often in jobs they did not enjoy or roles with less responsibility. Over one third of fathers reported that caring had impacted on their job opportunities or career progression, particularly those whose children had more severe disabilities.

Background: Four fifths of the estimated 150 million children with disability in the world live in resource poor settings where the role of the family is crucial in ensuring that these children survive and thrive. Despite their critical role, evidence is lacking on how to provide optimal support to these families. This study explores the impact of a participatory training programme for caregivers delivered through a local support group, with a focus on understanding caregiver wellbeing.

Background: Seeking healthcare in children is unique since parents decide upon the type and frequency of healthcare services accessed. Mothers/caregivers lower healthcare seeking behavior is one of the major reason for increased morbidity and mortality from childhood illness in developing countries.

Men in the United States are increasingly involved in their children's lives and currently represent 40% of informal caregivers to dependent relatives or friends aged 18 years and older. Yet much more is known about the health effects of varying family role occupancies for women relative to men.