text4FATHER R21: Social Media - Efficacy Trial
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: text4FATHER.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Fathers, Mobile Health, Nuclear Family. Basic parameters: from 18 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- United States
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Adapting text4FATHER to Directly Link to First-time Expectant Fathers Using Social Media to Improve Infant and Family Health
Overview
This project will be the first to examine the efficacy of a text messaging intervention designed to recruit first-time fathers-to-be using social media across the U.S. to become involved during pregnancy through two months of postnatal age to support infant, mother, and father well-being.
Detailed description
Father engagement in the prenatal and infant periods is associated with improved infant outcomes (e.g., physical, social and emotional health and development), and mother and father well-being. However, this key window of opportunity has been insufficiently leveraged to promote father engagement, especially, first-time fathers-to-be.
text4FATHER, a multi-modal text messaging program, is designed to increase first-time fathers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral engagement. text4FATHER sends texts twice-weekly to fathers with threaded content to support infant, partner, and father well-being including resource weblinks to support behavior change from mid-pregnancy through 2 months postnatally. Text content was developed using formative research and feedback from the target population, consensus building with experts, and an evidence-based review.
Interventions
- Behavioral text4FATHER
Receipt of twice-weekly texts that include resource links and instructions to support behavior change (e.g., videos, infographics) and start mid-pregnancy and continuing through 2 months of age.
Primary outcome measures
- Change in Self-efficacy as assessed by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC) [Time frame: Baseline and 7 months]
- Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS) [Time frame: Baseline and 7 months]
- Father Engagement Scale (FES) [Time frame: Baseline and 7 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Aged ≥18 years
- Live in the U.S.
- Speak English
- Mother gestational age at enrollment less than 25 weeks
- First-time father-to-be
- Willing/able to receive texts.
Exclusion criteria
- Individuals who are minors
- Do not speak English
- Unable to provide informed consent
- Not a first-time father
- Not willing/unable to receive texts
- In the past 12 months, any safety concern reported between father-to-be and the mother-to-be, including report of any physical, emotional, sexual harm, threatening behaviors, police involvement, restraining or protective order
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
United States · 1 center
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore
Publications
- Marcell AV, Johnson SB, Nelson T, Labrique AB, Eck KV, Skelton S, Aqil A, Gibson D. Protocol for the Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Efficacy Trial of text4FATHER for Improving Underserved Fathers' Involvement in Infant Care. J Health Care Poor Underserved. 2021;32(3):1110-1135. doi: 10.1353/hpu.2021.0117. PMID 34421016
- Allport BS, Johnson S, Aqil A, Labrique AB, Nelson T, Kc A, Carabas Y, Marcell AV. Promoting Father Involvement for Child and Family Health. Acad Pediatr. 2018 Sep-Oct;18(7):746-753. doi: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.03.011. Epub 2018 Apr 10. PMID 29653255
- Allport-Altillo BS, Aqil AR, Nelson T, Johnson SB, Labrique AB, Carabas Y, Marcell AV. Parents' Perspectives on Supporting Father Involvement in African American Families During Pregnancy and Early Infancy. J Natl Med Assoc. 2020 Aug;112(4):344-361. doi: 10.1016/j.jnma.2020.04.002. Epub 2020 May 11. PMID 32409095
- Aqil A, Allport BS, Johnson SB, Nelson T, Labrique AB, Marcell AV. Content to share with expectant fathers: Views of professionals focused on father involvement. Midwifery. 2019 Mar;70:119-126. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2018.12.018. Epub 2018 Dec 24. PMID 30611921
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06289101 · IRB00422008 · R21HD112617