Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 26, 2025

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization
05:55

Stable Isotope In-Vivo Labeling for Mass-Spectrometry Identification of Paternal Metabolites Transferred from Sperm to Oocyte During Fertilization

Published on: June 17, 2025

565

Expectant Fathers' Social Determinants of Health in Early Pregnancy

Fernanda Neri Mini1, Jaclyn A Saltzman1,2, Meg Simione1

  • 1Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.

Global Pediatric Health
|December 9, 2020
PubMed

Insights

Expecting fathers in low-income communities face unmet social and economic needs, including food insecurity. Providing targeted perinatal education and support for fathers is crucial for maternal and infant health outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Sociology

Background:

  • The First 1000 Days program is a systems-level intervention designed to prevent obesity in low-income mothers and infants.
  • Prenatal care often focuses on mothers, potentially overlooking the needs and roles of expecting fathers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine the unmet social and economic needs of low-income, expecting fathers.
  • To identify health information requests from this demographic.
  • To inform targeted support strategies within perinatal care.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional, descriptive study design.
  • Survey administered to 131 fathers attending their partner's first prenatal visit within the First 1000 Days program.
  • Data collected on demographics, social/economic needs, and information requests.

Main Results:

  • A significant portion of fathers reported annual incomes under $50,000 (69%) and food insecurity (18%).
  • While financial support was limited, strong non-financial social support networks were reported (85%).
  • Fathers expressed a need for information on pregnancy, birth preparation, and fatherhood.

Conclusions:

  • Low-income expecting fathers experience distinct social and economic challenges that require attention.
  • There is a clear demand for father-specific perinatal information and support.
  • Integrating father-focused resources into prenatal programs can enhance maternal and infant well-being.

Keywords:
fathershealth information needsobesitypregnancysocial determinants of health

More Related Videos

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting14:43

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting

Published on: January 12, 2018

12.3K
Author Spotlight: Enhancing the Offspring Health in Rats with Maternal Exercise During Pregnancy05:17

Author Spotlight: Enhancing the Offspring Health in Rats with Maternal Exercise During Pregnancy

Published on: April 5, 2024

1.1K

Related Concept Videos

Spermatogenesis01:41

Spermatogenesis

Spermatogenesis is the process by which haploid sperm cells are produced in the male testes. It starts with stem cells located close to the outer rim of seminiferous tubules. These spermatogonial stem cells divide asymmetrically to give rise to additional stem cells (meaning that these structures “self-renew”), as well as sperm progenitors, called spermatocytes. Importantly, this method of asymmetric mitotic division maintains a population of spermatogonial stem cells in the male...
112.2K
Dimensions of Health and Illness01:21

Dimensions of Health and Illness

The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.
9.3K
Infertility in Males01:23

Infertility in Males

Male infertility affects millions of couples worldwide, arising from various factors that impact different stages of the reproductive process. An endocrine imbalance resulting from conditions like hypogonadism, Klinefelter syndrome, or pituitary disorders can disrupt hormone levels and reduce sperm production. Testicular defects, such as tumors, cryptorchidism, atrophic testes, abnormal sperm morphology, and low sperm count or motility, may arise due to genetic factors, structural...
428
Factors Affecting Illness01:18

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
4.8K
Teratogenicity01:07

Teratogenicity

The ability of a drug to produce structural deformations and functional abnormalities in the developing embryo or the fetus is called teratogenicity, and the drug producing this effect is known as a teratogen. Teratogenic effects include stillbirth, miscarriage, intrauterine growth restriction, and neurocognitive delay. A teratogen may affect the embryo at different stages of development, which is important in determining the type and extent of the damage. During blastocyst formation, the early...
3.7K
Disorders of the Male Reproductive System01:20

Disorders of the Male Reproductive System

Men's health issues are increasingly recognized as significant, with several conditions posing common threats. Among these, testicular cancer is especially prevalent in younger men, particularly those aged 20 to 35 years. The disease often manifests as a painless mass in the testicles, sometimes accompanied by a sensation of heaviness or a dull ache.
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra....
3.8K