Family Relations, Father-Child Relations, Paternal Behavior
Conditions
Keywords
Perinatal
Brief summary
The project is aimed at meeting the support needs of community fathers who are expecting a baby or who have recently had a baby. This work is being conducted in conjunction with community partners through The Women's Clinic of Northern Colorado (WCNC). Researchers and WCNC staff will work together to develop and implement programs for prenatal and postpartum fathers. Participants will be invited to a group mentoring program and also will be provided access to supplementary educational podcasts focused on topics relevant to prenatal and postpartum fathers. The investigators are seeking to understand what participants like and don't like about the program and how participation in the program affects participants' stress, well-being, and parenting.
Detailed description
The investigators are building on previous work to identify opportunities to meet the needs of perinatal fathers. The term perinatal encompasses the time leading up to and immediately following the birth of a child. Father involvement in child rearing is beneficial to mothers and children, but fathers are routinely overlooked by available support opportunities at the transition to parenthood. This pilot project seeks to apply research evidence and best practices to address the disparity in socioemotional community support and education programs serving perinatal fathers. In a previous pilot study, the investigators learned from fathers participating in focus groups that participants were interested in opportunities to connect with other fathers in the same life stage to talk about personal experiences and learn from each other. The investigators also learned that fathers worry about meeting varied role expectations, that available resources tend to overlook the unique experiences of fathers, and that it can be challenging to find quality information in a digital world saturated with conflicting information about parenting. This project seeks to address these primary issues through community-based, father-centric support and educational programs. WCNC education staff will facilitate a discussion-based group mentoring program for fathers who are expecting or recently had a baby. This program seeks to increase connection with other fathers, reduce stress related to parenting a baby, and increase parenting confidence. The investigators plan to evaluate the feasibility of the program through satisfaction surveys and other measures of the program's implementation. The investigators also plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the program by providing participants with surveys asking about their well-being, knowledge, confidence in parenting, and their satisfaction with their social networks. The investigators are additionally developing educational podcasts focused on topics relevant to prenatal and postpartum fathers, which will be evaluated as a supplementary component to the mentoring program. Research objectives are the following: Study 1, Objective 1 (Primary): The investigators seek to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a program targeting perinatal fathers offered in a community clinic setting. Study 1, Objective 2 (Primary): Examine whether participating in a discussion-based group mentoring program increases the likelihood of positive short-term outcomes for fathers. Study 1 Objective 3 (Secondary): Identify whether listening to brief, targeted educational podcasts predicts increased positive outcomes for fathers over and above the mentoring group alone. Study 2 Objective 1 (Primary): Identify whether participants who listen to brief, targeted educational podcasts find the podcasts satisfactory and acceptable as a method of gaining information about perinatal fatherhood.
Interventions
A group educational support and mentoring program for perinatal fathers.
Sponsors
Study design
Intervention model description
Perinatal father support primary intervention is small group mentoring program (with pre/post test data) run by educators at The Women's Clinic (TWC). Participants who sign up for the program early enough will be provided surveys approximately 1 month prior to the intervention start to provide a non-randomized wait-list comparison. Participants will additionally have access to follow-up daddy/baby drop-in groups and a podcast series and may be provided satisfaction surveys for both.
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
* Participants must be expecting a baby or have a baby less than one year of age and planning to take the DadSpace mentoring program.
Exclusion criteria
* Non-English speaking
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | A 6-item measure of feelings of efficacy/competence in the parental role. Items are weighted on a range from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating higher confidence in the parental role, a better outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 4 to 24. |
| Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | This 19-item abbreviated version of the inventory assesses accurate knowledge of infant development. The first 11 items are rated as true or false and include questions such as Babies may cry for 20-30 minutes at a time, no matter how much you try to comfort them and Some parents do not bond until their baby starts to smile and look at them. An additional 6 items ask parents to rate whether they think babies can do something at the age listed in the item or whether the developmental task (e.g., Six-month-olds know what 'no' means.) occurs in younger or older children. Two additional items ask respondents to choose the best way to respond to potentially stressful infant behaviors (breaking things and fussing at night). Item responses are scored as correct or incorrect with percent correct as the final measure. |
| Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form) | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 10 items assessing feelings of upset and anxiety versus contentment at the present time. Item values range from 1 to 4 with a higher score indicating higher state anxiety, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a total possible range from 6 to 24. |
| Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 10 items that measure core features of postnatal depression. Item values range from 0 to 3 with a higher score indicating higher depressive symptoms, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 0 - 30. |
| Change in Perceived Stress Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 10 items related to anxiety, stress, and coping with upsets. Items values range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 0 to 40. |
| Change in Role Conflict Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 2 subscales that assess work conflict with family life, family life conflict with work, and work-family balance. Item values range from 1 to 6. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range of 8 to 48. |
| Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 7 yes/no items on satisfaction with the support received from one's social network. More yes answers indicates lower satisfaction with the social network, a worse outcome. Scores are reverse-scored and totaled with a possible range from 0 to 7 so that higher scores indicate more satisfaction. |
| Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 13 items assessing coparent collaboration versus conflict related to child rearing. Items values range from 0 to 6 with higher scores indicating a better coparenting relationship. Items are totaled with a possible range from 0 - 72. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | Assesses fathers' positive feelings versus lack of enjoyment with the baby. Item values have been revised from the original scale to range from 1 to 6 with higher scores indicating more positive feelings toward the baby. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 19 to 114. |
| Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale | Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up | 7-item measure of general self-efficacy versus helplessness. Item values range from 1 to 6 with higher scores indicating worse self-efficacy. Scores are totaled with a total possible range from 6 to 42. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance | Measured across the 8 weeks of intervention delivery with one session offered per week. | Number of total sessions attended by participants (dosage) |
| Workshop Environment Scale | Participants completed the workshop environment scale at posttest (time 3). | The Workshop Environment Scale provides a measure of group dynamics and facilitator alliance. Items were adapted to fit the specific program and reduced to 10 questions scaled from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating more positive perceptions of the workshop environment, a better outcome. Item scores were summed to produce a total score with a possible range of 4 to 40. |
| Satisfaction With DadSpace Program | Immediately after the end of the intervention | Fathers rate their overall satisfaction with the utility of each of the eight sessions on a scale from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating more satisfaction. Scores are averaged for an average satisfaction score. |
| Support Group Social Exchange Scale | Immediately after the intervention | The 27-item Support Group Social Exchange Scale assesses various types of social exchanges that can occur in support group dynamics, including experiential knowledge, emotional support, humor, and unwanted behavior. We removed three of the five items asking about humor, reducing the number of items to 24. Items statements (e.g., I shared my personal problems with group members) are rated from 0 (never) to 6 (always). Three items ask participants to rate the number of times they interacted with other participants outside of group meetings, such as by doing favors for and socializing with each other, with ordinal response categories ranging from 0 (0 times) to 4 (10 or more times). Item scores are summed to produce a total score for each participant with a possible range from 0 to 156. Higher scores indicate a more positive perception of group social dynamics, a better outcome. |
| Participant Engagement | Measured after each of 8 weekly sessions. Scores for each week were averaged to produce a total score of engagement for all participants. | Facilitator ratings of participants' active participation and evidence that fathers have been trying out skills covered in classes. Engagement was measured by totaling scores from two items. Item one asked facilitator's to rate how active participants were in participating in class measured on a scale from 0 (passive) to 5 (active). Item two asked facilitators to rate the degree to which they have observed the participants trying out the skills they are learning in class on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (yes, quite a lot). After summing scores for the two items, engagement has a possible range of 0-8. Higher scores indicate more engagement, a better outcome.Total scores were averaged to produce a single score of engagement across all weekly sessions and cohorts. |
| Helpfulness of Information Sources | Measured at posttest, 8 weeks after pretest. | Fathers report on how helpful they found the provided resources (e.g., handouts) on a scale from 1 to 4 with a higher score indicating a higher degree of helpfulness, a better outcome. |
| Facilitator Fidelity to Protocol | Measured across the 8 weeks of intervention delivery | A checklist of intervention items completed by the facilitator to identify adherence to the intervention protocol. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention Participants will take part in a 12-hour educational discussion-based mentoring program intervention over 8 weeks. The intervention will be facilitated by a trained father facilitator and will include education and support on topics relevant to perinatal fathers. Topics include father identity, stress management, infant development, co-parenting, masculinity and caregiving, healthy communication, and work-life balance. Participants will additionally have access to a brief educational podcast series on related topics. Participants will also be invited to monthly follow-up daddy/baby drop-in groups.
DadSpace: A group educational support and mentoring program for perinatal fathers. | 19 |
| Total | 19 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Withdrawal by Subject | 1 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | DadSpace Intervention |
|---|---|
| Additional Children: Yes, No Also has older children | 1 Participants |
| Additional Children: Yes, No Does not also have older children | 18 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 35.21 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.48 |
| Birth Status: Prenatal, Postpartum Postpartum, baby has been born | 7 Participants |
| Birth Status: Prenatal, Postpartum Prenatal, expecting baby | 12 Participants |
| Household Income $20,000-39,999 | 1 Participants |
| Household Income $40,000-59,999 | 2 Participants |
| Household Income $60,000-84,999 | 1 Participants |
| Household Income $85,000+ | 15 Participants |
| Marital Status Divorced | 0 Participants |
| Marital Status Married | 18 Participants |
| Marital Status Single never married | 1 Participants |
| Marital Status Widowed | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 16 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 19 Participants |
| Residential Status: Reside or Not Reside with Infant Does not reside in home with infant | 1 Participants |
| Residential Status: Reside or Not Reside with Infant N/A (baby not born) | 12 Participants |
| Residential Status: Reside or Not Reside with Infant Resides in home with infant | 6 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 0 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 19 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 19 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 1 / 19 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 19 |
Outcome results
Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief
13 items assessing coparent collaboration versus conflict related to child rearing. Items values range from 0 to 6 with higher scores indicating a better coparenting relationship. Items are totaled with a possible range from 0 - 72.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: Participants who completed surveys at any time point.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief | Baseline | 51.83 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.51 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief | Mid-intervention | 51.94 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.95 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief | Posttest | 51.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.19 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Coparenting Relationship Scale - Brief | Follow-up | 51.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.67 |
Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale
10 items that measure core features of postnatal depression. Item values range from 0 to 3 with a higher score indicating higher depressive symptoms, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 0 - 30.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed surveys.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | Baseline | 7.17 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.19 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | Mid-intervention | 6.39 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.45 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | Posttest | 7.22 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.82 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale | Follow-up | 7.67 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.07 |
Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory
This 19-item abbreviated version of the inventory assesses accurate knowledge of infant development. The first 11 items are rated as true or false and include questions such as Babies may cry for 20-30 minutes at a time, no matter how much you try to comfort them and Some parents do not bond until their baby starts to smile and look at them. An additional 6 items ask parents to rate whether they think babies can do something at the age listed in the item or whether the developmental task (e.g., Six-month-olds know what 'no' means.) occurs in younger or older children. Two additional items ask respondents to choose the best way to respond to potentially stressful infant behaviors (breaking things and fussing at night). Item responses are scored as correct or incorrect with percent correct as the final measure.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: Participants who participated in baseline and posttest surveys.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory | Baseline | 77.78 Percent correct | Standard Deviation 10.3 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory | Mid-intervention | 81.87 Percent correct | Standard Deviation 6.56 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory | Posttest | 67.25 Percent correct | Standard Deviation 13.7 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory | Follow-up | 78.95 Percent correct | Standard Deviation 11.43 |
Change in Perceived Stress Scale
10 items related to anxiety, stress, and coping with upsets. Items values range from 0 to 4 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 0 to 40.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed surveys.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Perceived Stress Scale | Baseline | 16.66 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.48 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Perceived Stress Scale | Mid-intervention | 15.61 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.12 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Perceived Stress Scale | Posttest | 16.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.21 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Perceived Stress Scale | Follow-up | 17.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.84 |
Change in Role Conflict Scale
2 subscales that assess work conflict with family life, family life conflict with work, and work-family balance. Item values range from 1 to 6. Higher scores indicate a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range of 8 to 48.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: Participants who completed surveys at any time point.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Role Conflict Scale | Baseline | 21.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.22 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Role Conflict Scale | Mid-intervention | 21.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.98 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Role Conflict Scale | Posttest | 22.22 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.47 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Role Conflict Scale | Follow-up | 20.80 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.81 |
Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale
A 6-item measure of feelings of efficacy/competence in the parental role. Items are weighted on a range from 1 to 4, with higher scores indicating higher confidence in the parental role, a better outcome. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 4 to 24.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed the posttest survey
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale | Posttest | 18.89 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.12 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale | Baseline | 17.18 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.57 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale | Mid-intervention | 18.39 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.24 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Self-Perceptions of the Parental Role-Competence Scale | Follow-up | 19.33 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.7 |
Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale
7 yes/no items on satisfaction with the support received from one's social network. More yes answers indicates lower satisfaction with the social network, a worse outcome. Scores are reverse-scored and totaled with a possible range from 0 to 7 so that higher scores indicate more satisfaction.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed surveys at any of the time-points.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale | Baseline | 4.56 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.23 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale | Mid-intervention | 4.72 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.32 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale | Posttest | 4.67 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.38 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Social Network Questionnaire-Satisfaction Scale | Follow-up | 4.80 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.37 |
Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form)
10 items assessing feelings of upset and anxiety versus contentment at the present time. Item values range from 1 to 4 with a higher score indicating higher state anxiety, a worse outcome. Scores are totaled with a total possible range from 6 to 24.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed surveys at any timepoint.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form) | Baseline | 11.33 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.52 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form) | Mid-intervention | 10.89 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.44 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form) | Posttest | 11.94 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.99 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Spielberger State Anxiety Scale (Short Form) | Follow-up | 11.47 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.21 |
Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale
Assesses fathers' positive feelings versus lack of enjoyment with the baby. Item values have been revised from the original scale to range from 1 to 6 with higher scores indicating more positive feelings toward the baby. Scores are totaled with a possible range from 19 to 114.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: Participants who completed surveys and whose babies have been born by the selected time-point.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale | Baseline | 101.20 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 11.86 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale | Mid-intervention | 92.53 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 18.89 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale | Posttest | 93.44 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 16.44 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Paternal Postnatal Attachment Scale | Follow-up | 92.50 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 15.64 |
Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale
7-item measure of general self-efficacy versus helplessness. Item values range from 1 to 6 with higher scores indicating worse self-efficacy. Scores are totaled with a total possible range from 6 to 42.
Time frame: Every 4 weeks up to 16 weeks, including pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up
Population: DadSpace participants who completed surveys at any time point.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale | Posttest | 31.94 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.71 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale | Baseline | 33.83 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 5.96 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale | Mid-intervention | 33.11 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.72 |
| DadSpace Intervention | Change in Pearlin Mastery Scale | Follow-up | 30.87 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.99 |
Attendance
Number of total sessions attended by participants (dosage)
Time frame: Measured across the 8 weeks of intervention delivery with one session offered per week.
Population: Perinatal fathers who participated in the DadSpace program.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Attendance | 6.56 total number of sessions attended | Standard Deviation 1.72 |
Facilitator Fidelity to Protocol
A checklist of intervention items completed by the facilitator to identify adherence to the intervention protocol.
Time frame: Measured across the 8 weeks of intervention delivery
Population: Average fidelity across the two facilitators of the program
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) |
|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Facilitator Fidelity to Protocol | 92 percentage of manual items covered |
Helpfulness of Information Sources
Fathers report on how helpful they found the provided resources (e.g., handouts) on a scale from 1 to 4 with a higher score indicating a higher degree of helpfulness, a better outcome.
Time frame: Measured at posttest, 8 weeks after pretest.
Population: Participants who attended at least two sessions of the program and completed the posttest survey.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Helpfulness of Information Sources | 3.53 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.51 |
Participant Engagement
Facilitator ratings of participants' active participation and evidence that fathers have been trying out skills covered in classes. Engagement was measured by totaling scores from two items. Item one asked facilitator's to rate how active participants were in participating in class measured on a scale from 0 (passive) to 5 (active). Item two asked facilitators to rate the degree to which they have observed the participants trying out the skills they are learning in class on a scale from 0 (not at all) to 3 (yes, quite a lot). After summing scores for the two items, engagement has a possible range of 0-8. Higher scores indicate more engagement, a better outcome.Total scores were averaged to produce a single score of engagement across all weekly sessions and cohorts.
Time frame: Measured after each of 8 weekly sessions. Scores for each week were averaged to produce a total score of engagement for all participants.
Population: Facilitators reported an overall score for all participants in each session. Scores were averaged across weeks and cohorts to produce an overall engagement score.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Participant Engagement | 5.83 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.08 |
Satisfaction With DadSpace Program
Fathers rate their overall satisfaction with the utility of each of the eight sessions on a scale from 0 to 10 with higher scores indicating more satisfaction. Scores are averaged for an average satisfaction score.
Time frame: Immediately after the end of the intervention
Population: Participants who completed at least two weeks of the DadSpace program and completed the posttest survey.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Satisfaction With DadSpace Program | 8.10 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.03 |
Support Group Social Exchange Scale
The 27-item Support Group Social Exchange Scale assesses various types of social exchanges that can occur in support group dynamics, including experiential knowledge, emotional support, humor, and unwanted behavior. We removed three of the five items asking about humor, reducing the number of items to 24. Items statements (e.g., I shared my personal problems with group members) are rated from 0 (never) to 6 (always). Three items ask participants to rate the number of times they interacted with other participants outside of group meetings, such as by doing favors for and socializing with each other, with ordinal response categories ranging from 0 (0 times) to 4 (10 or more times). Item scores are summed to produce a total score for each participant with a possible range from 0 to 156. Higher scores indicate a more positive perception of group social dynamics, a better outcome.
Time frame: Immediately after the intervention
Population: Perinatal fathers who completed at least two weeks of the program and completed the posttest survey.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Support Group Social Exchange Scale | 118.94 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 16.71 |
Workshop Environment Scale
The Workshop Environment Scale provides a measure of group dynamics and facilitator alliance. Items were adapted to fit the specific program and reduced to 10 questions scaled from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating more positive perceptions of the workshop environment, a better outcome. Item scores were summed to produce a total score with a possible range of 4 to 40.
Time frame: Participants completed the workshop environment scale at posttest (time 3).
Population: Perinatal fathers who completed at least two weeks of the program and completed the posttest survey.
| Arm | Measure | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|
| DadSpace Intervention | Workshop Environment Scale | 34.88 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.11 |