Being a first-time father. Their experiences and meanings: A Qualitative Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION: Becoming a first-time father is an important change in the life of men and families. Studies on the subject show that these kinds of changes have the power to put life into perspective. Being an involved father has a deep meaning for the child and the family. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experience of becoming a first-time father during the child first year of the life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A qualitative systematic review was conducted in 2014 in three stages, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Method for Qualitative Systematic Reviews (QSR). The stages used in this QSR were: establishing the question, determining the type of studies to be included, defining the evaluation criteria, and synthesizing the data. Papers that assessed clinical prognoses were considered such as first-time parenting experience and child care during the first year of life. Only primary qualitative studies including ethnography, phenomenology, narrative analysis, and action research were con sidered. RESULTS: Three meta-syntheses were obtained from the analysis: 1) fatherhood adjustment process, 2) paternal role development, and 3) being an active father. The path towards adoption and the fulfillment of the paternal role is mediated by different processes that are consolidated during the child first year of life. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the idea that fathers want to be active parti cipants in the care of their children, that public policies should consider both parents equal in terms of their parenting responsibilities, and that the protection of the family and the family environment is a priority as a health promotion intervention.

Being a first-time father: their experiences and meanings: a qualitative systematic review / Experiencias y significados de ser padre por primera vez: una revisión sistemática cualitativa

INTRODUCTION: Becoming a first-time father is an important change in the life of men and families. Studies on the subject show that these kinds of changes have the power to put life into perspective. Being an involved father has a deep meaning for the child and the family. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experience of becoming a first-time father during the child first year of the life. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A qualitative systematic review was conducted in 2014 in three stages, based on the Joanna Briggs Institute Method for Qualitative Systematic Reviews (QSR). The stages used in this QSR were: establishing the question, determining the type of studies to be included, defining the evaluation criteria, and synthesizing the data. Papers that assessed clinical prognoses were considered such as first-time parenting experience and child care during the first year of life. Only primary qualitative studies including ethnography, phenomenology, narrative analysis, and action research were con sidered. RESULTS: Three meta-syntheses were obtained from the analysis: 1) fatherhood adjustment process, 2) paternal role development, and 3) being an active father. The path towards adoption and the fulfillment of the paternal role is mediated by different processes that are consolidated during the child first year of life. CONCLUSIONS: The results support the idea that fathers want to be active parti cipants in the care of their children, that public policies should consider both parents equal in terms of their parenting responsibilities, and that the protection of the family and the family environment is a priority as a health promotion intervention.

INTRODUCCIÓN: Ser padre por primera vez es un cambio importante en la vida del hombre y la familia. Los estudios en torno al tema demuestran que este tipo de cambios tienen la capacidad de poner la vida en perspectiva. Ser un padre participativo tiene un significado profundo para el niño/a y la familia. OBJETIVO: Explorar la experiencia de ser padre por primera vez durante el primer año de la vida del hijo/a. SUJETOS Y MÉTODO: Se realizó una revisión sistemática cualitativa en 2014 en 3 etapas, basado en el Joanna Briggs Institute Method para Revisiones Sistemáticas Cualitativas (QSR). Las etapas usadas en este QSR fueron: establecimiento de la pregunta, determinar el tipo de estudios a incluir, definir los criterios de evaluación, y realizar la síntesis de los datos. Se consideraron manuscritos que evaluaran los pronósticos clínicos: experiencia de ser padre por primera vez y cuidados del niños durante el primer año de vida. Solo estudios cualitativos primarios incluyendo estudios de etnografía, fenomenología, análisis de narrativa e investigación de acciones fueron considerados. RESULTADOS: Se obtuvieron tres meta-síntesis del análisis: 1) proceso de ajuste a la paternidad; 2) desarrollo del rol paterno y 3) ser un padre activo. El camino hacia la adopción y el cumplimiento del rol paterno está mediado por diversos procesos que durante el primer año de vida del niño/a se consolidan. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados apoyan la propuesta de que los padres desean ser protagonistas del cuidado de sus hijos/as, que las políticas públicas deben considerar a ambos padres como iguales en términos de sus responsabilidades de crianza, y que la protección de la familia y el entorno familiar es una priori dad como intervención de promoción de salud.