Understanding fathers' responses to breastfeeding as a "shared parental task": a realist evaluation of a Danish breastfeeding support intervention.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Fathers' involvement in breastfeeding has a positive effect on breastfeeding, but fathers can feel uncertain about how to provide support. An intervention was implemented to improve breastfeeding rates by tailoring support to each family, actively involving both parents, and strengthening communication during home visits as part of the Danish universal health visiting program. A key element of the intervention was engaging both parents in breastfeeding as a "shared parental task". The aim of this study was to investigate how fathers responded to the intervention and to identify the contextual factors necessary to activate paternal engagement.

Methods

Using a realist evaluation approach, our study was integrated into a cluster randomized trial implemented in 20 mun

SUBMITTER: Jacobsen MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12696924 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature