Being a first-time father. Their experiences and meanings: A Qualitative Systematic Review

Abstract

Introduction: Becoming a first-time father is an important change in the life of men and families. Studies on the subject show that these kinds of changes have the power to put life into perspective. Being an involved father has a deep meaning for the child and the family.

Objective: To explore the experience of becoming a first-time father during the child first year of the life.

Subjects and Methods: A qualitative systematic review was conducted in 2014 in three stages, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Method for Qualitative Systematic Reviews (QSR). The stages used in this QSR were: establishing the question, determining the type of studies to be included, defining the evaluation criteria, and synthesizing the data. Papers that assessed clinical prognoses were considered such as first-time parenting experience and child care during the first year of life. Only primary qualitative studies including ethnography, phenomenology, narrative analysis, and action research were considered.

Results: Three meta-syntheses were obtained from the analysis: 1) fatherhood adjustment process, 2) paternal role development, and 3) being an active father. The path towards adoption and the fulfillment of the paternal role is mediated by different processes that are consolidated during the child first year of life.

Conclusions: The results support the idea that fathers want to be active participants in the care of their children, that public policies should consider both parents equal in terms of their parenting responsibilities, and that the protection of the family and the family environment is a priority as a health promotion intervention.