text4FATHER R21: Social Media - Efficacy Trial
Purpose
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.
Conditions
- Fathers
- Mobile Health
- Nuclear Family
Eligibility
- Eligible Ages
- Over 18 Years
- Eligible Sex
- All
- Accepts Healthy Volunteers
- Yes
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
Study Design
- Phase
- N/A
- Study Type
- Interventional
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Intervention Model
- Parallel Assignment
- Intervention Model Description
- 2 groups will be enrolled and randomized to receipt or not receipt of the intervention.
- Primary Purpose
- Prevention
- Masking
- None (Open Label)
Arm Groups
| Arm | Description | Assigned Intervention |
|---|---|---|
|
Experimental 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 baby's age. |
|
|
No Intervention Usual care |
Usual care that is consistent with typical maternity care in involving fathers-to-be. |
|
Recruiting Locations
Baltimore, Maryland 21287
More Details
- Status
- Recruiting
- Sponsor
- Johns Hopkins University
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.