Author(s): Pinto, Tiago Miguel Pires ; Figueiredo, Bárbara ; Pinheiro, Luis L. ; Canário, Catarina
Date: 2016
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/1822/41985
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
Project/scholarship: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/FCT/5876-PPCDTI/116738/PT ;
Subject(s): Transition to parenthood; Fathers; Parenting self-efficacy; Anxious and depressive symptoms; Coparenting support; Social Sciences
"Published online: 09 Jun 2016"
Background: Little is known about the development of fathers’ parenting self-efficacy during the transition to parenthood. Objectives: To analyse (1) fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path and (2) the effects of anxious and depressive symptoms and coparenting support on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path, from the first trimester of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. Methods: Eighty-six fathers recruited at the first trimester of pregnancy completed self-report measures of anxious and depressive symptoms, coparenting support and parenting self-efficacy at the first and third trimesters of pregnancy, and at 1 and 6 months postpartum. Growth curve models were performed. Results: An increase in fathers’ parenting self-efficacy was found from the first trimester of pregnancy to 6 months postpartum. The main effects of anxious symptoms and interaction effects of anxious symptoms and time were found on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy. Fathers with higher anxious symptoms revealed lower levels of parenting self-efficacy at the first trimester of pregnancy and a lower increase of parenting self-efficacy from this time to 6 months postpartum. The main effects of coparenting support were found in fathers’ parenting self-efficacy. At the first trimester of pregnancy, fathers who perceived more coparenting support revealed higher levels of parenting self-efficacy. Conclusion: The present study may contribute to the literature by describing fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path and the effects of anxious symptoms and coparenting support on fathers’ parenting self-efficacy developmental path during the transition to parenthood.
PTDC/SAU/SAP/116738/2010
