Abstract
The authors randomly assigned 151 couples expecting their first child to a support/work-planning intervention group or a standard prenatal curriculum group. To evaluate the impact of the intervention, they conducted surveys at baseline and 6-months postpartum to assess mental and physical health, partner satisfaction and caring, work time, housework sharing, and satisfaction with housework sharing. They found no significant group differences on postpartum health or work outcomes, although fathers in the experimental group, in contrast to controls, showed a trend toward less postpartum decline in housework sharing. The study identified a tool to help parents plan their postpartum work responsibilities. The tool, as tested in this trial, did not have a significant impact on parents' work behaviors or health outcomes. Further studies are needed to investigate mechanisms to support young parents during their demanding early childbearing years.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 84-91 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Behavioral Medicine |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2002 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was funded by the University of Minnesota Gradu-ate School and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The authors wish to thank James Neaton, PhD, for his advice on data analysis, and Anne Marie Weber-Main, PhD, for her assistance with editing.
Keywords
- Intervention
- Parents
- Postpartum
- Work