Currently submitted to: JMIR Research Protocols
Date Submitted: Sep 24, 2026
Open Peer Review Period: Sep 25, 2026 - Nov 20, 2026
(currently open for review)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Factors that influence fathers’ involvement during the postpartum period: A scoping review protocol
ABSTRACT
Background:
Fathers’ involvement during the postpartum period contributes to positive health outcomes for mothers and infants. However, fathers can face challenges that prevent them from being engaged and are often overlooked within clinical and public health care contexts.
Objective:
The objective of this scoping review is to identify, map, and summarize available evidence on factors that influence fathers’ involvement during the postpartum period.
Methods:
This review will be conducted in accordance with the JBI methodology for scoping reviews and reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Medline (Ovid), APA PsycINFO (Ebsco), and CINAHL (Ebsco) databases will be systematically searched for quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods research studies and reviews published after 2000 to capture the contemporary evidence on fathers’ involvement during the postpartum period. First, titles and abstracts will be screened by two reviewers, followed by full-text review. Eligibility criteria include fathers, both biological fathers and persons who take on the paternal role of an infant, involvement during the postpartum period. Involvement includes fathers providing support for both the mother and infant, including their presence, availability, and active engagement. Studies must take place in the United States, there are no limitations on context (e.g., hospital, home, and clinic). Extracted data will be analyzed using content analysis. Findings will be presented in tabular form, accompanied by a narrative summary.
Results:
This review will begin in October 2026 by conducting the finalized database searches. Screening will be completed in February 2027, data extraction in May 2027, and analysis by August 2027, with the manuscript submitted for publication by October 2027.
Conclusions:
Findings will provide a comprehensive overview of the factors that influence fathers’ involvement during the postpartum period. The review will highlight barriers and facilitators to fathers’ involvement, with implications for clinical practice and public health interventions to better support fathers’ engagement with mothers and infants during the postpartum period. Clinical Trial: OSF: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/HAET6
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