Fathers and daughters participating in an 8-week physical activity program demonstrated post-intervention improvements in physical activity, screen time, sport skill competence and parenting ...practices, which were maintained at 9-month follow-up.
Abstract
Background
Existing strategies to increase girls’ physical activity levels have seen limited success. Fathers may influence their children’s physical activity, but often spend more time with their sons and rarely participate in family-based programs.
Purpose
To test a novel program designed to increase the physical activity levels of fathers and their daughters.
Methods
In a two-arm RCT, 115 fathers (29–53 years) and 153 daughters (4–12 years) were randomized to (i) the “Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered” (DADEE) program, or (ii) a wait-list control. The 8-week program included weekly educational and practical sessions plus home tasks. Assessments were at baseline, 2 months (postintervention), and 9 months. The primary outcomes were father–daughter physical activity levels (pedometry). Secondary outcomes included screen-time, daughters’ fundamental movement skill proficiency (FMS: perceived and objective), and fathers’ physical activity parenting practices.
Results
Primary outcome data were obtained from 88% of daughters and 90% of fathers at 9 months. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed favorable group-by-time effects for physical activity in daughters (p = .02, d = 0.4) and fathers (p < .001, d = 0.7) at postintervention, which were maintained at 9 months. At postintervention and follow-up, significant effects (p < .05) were also identified for daughters’ FMS competence (objective: d = 1.1–1.2; perceived: d = 0.4–0.6), a range of fathers’ physical activity parenting practices (d = 0.3–0.8), and screen-time for daughters (d = 0.5–0.8) and fathers (d = 0.4–0.6, postintervention only). Program satisfaction and attendance were very high.
Conclusions
This study provided the first experimental evidence that efforts to increase physical activity behavior in preadolescent girls would benefit from a meaningful engagement of fathers.
Clinical Trial information: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000022561
This study evaluated the effect of the Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered (DADEE) program on daughters' social-emotional well-being when delivered by trained facilitators. Fathers (n = 158; ...Mage = 41.95 ± 5.32 years; 86% Australian born) and daughters (n = 193; Mage = 8.35 ± 1.85 years) from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, were randomized into (a) the DADEE intervention or (b) a wait-list control. At baseline and 3 months, fathers, daughters, and mothers completed validated scales of daughters' social-emotional well-being (main outcome of interest), daughters' self-esteem, and other family-related outcomes. Intervention daughters improved their social-emotional well-being from father and mother perspectives compared to the control group (d = 0.51-0.64). Intervention effects were observed for the father-daughter relationship, indicators of father involvement, fathering warmth, coparenting, and family-related well-being, but not daughters' self-reported self-esteem and family-related well-being.
Public Significance StatementPhysical activity, positive father involvement, and a strong father-daughter relationship may have important benefits for girls' social-emotional well-being. Our study findings provide promising evidence that targeting numerous psychosocial (e.g., father-daughter bond) and behavioral (e.g., developing social-emotional skills) variables, in a cophysical activity context, has a positive impact on girls' social-emotional well-being.
Objective: To increase girls' well-being, strategies are needed to optimize their social-emotional competence during childhood. Although positive fathering is important for girls, many fathers ...discount their unique influence and few participate in interventions. The Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered (DADEE) program was developed to engage fathers and their daughters through shared physical activity experiences. This study examined the program's impact on girls' well-being and the father-daughter relationship. Method: Overall, 115 fathers (age range: 29-53 years) and 153 daughters (age range: 4-12 years) were randomized to (1) the DADEE program (9 weekly educational and practical sessions plus home-based challenges) or (2) a wait-list control. Assessments were baseline, 2 months (postintervention), and 9 months (94% retention). Daughters' social-emotional well-being was measured with the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment composite. Secondary outcomes included additional well-being indicators (e.g., global self-perception) plus validated measures of father involvement and father-daughter relationship quality. Results: At 2 months, intervention daughters showed a medium-to-large improvement in overall well-being (+24.9 units, 95% CI 8.6, 41.1, d = 0.6), when compared with controls. Intervention daughters were also more likely to show clinically meaningful improvements in well-being (54%) than controls (18%). Medium-to-large effects were observed for: seven of eight social-emotional competencies (e.g., personal responsibility, d = 0.4-0.9), father-daughter relationship quality (d = 0.8, father-report; d = 0.5, daughter-report), daughters' prosocial behavior (d = 0.3) and several indicators of father involvement. Most outcomes had improved by 9 months. No effects were observed for daughters' emotional difficulties or global self-perception. Conclusions: This study provided the first experimental evidence that father-daughter physical activity programs may improve girls' well-being and the father-daughter relationship.
What is the public health significance of this article?
Cross-sectional evidence suggests fathers may have an important yet overlooked impact on their daughters' well-being. This study provided the first experimental evidence supporting the implementation of targeted cophysical activity programs for fathers and daughters to optimize girls' social-emotional outcomes, enhance the quality of fathers' involvement with their daughters, and improve the closeness of their relationship.
Summary
Despite rising mental health problems worldwide, engaging men to seek mental health support is challenging. Male‐only lifestyle interventions have shown promise for improving men's physical ...health, but the overall impact of these programs on psychological outcomes is unclear. This review aimed to evaluate the impact of male‐only lifestyle interventions on men's mental health and to identify if any study or intervention features were associated with effectiveness. A systematic literature search with no date restrictions was conducted across four databases and returned 15 946 citations. Nine studies were eligible for inclusion, representing 1427 participants. Risk of bias was generally low across studies, although none were specifically powered to detect changes in mental health. Overall, significant group‐by‐time effects were reported for 26% of mental health outcomes examined. In the fixed‐effects meta‐analyses, small‐to‐medium intervention effects were observed for mental health–related quality of life (SMD = 0.24), self‐esteem (SMD = 0.51), and positive affect (SMD = 0.58). Insights into effective study or intervention features were limited because of the low number of heterogeneous studies. Although male‐only lifestyle interventions have improved men's mental health in some circumstances, studies that are specifically powered to detect long‐term changes are urgently required, particularly in groups with pre‐existing mental health concerns.
Targeting fathers may be a key strategy to increase physical activity among their preschool-aged children, but limited research exists in this area. The primary study aim was to examine the impact of ...a lifestyle program for fathers and their preschool-aged children on child physical activity levels.
A total of 125 fathers (aged: 38 ± 5.4 years, BMI: 28.1 ± 4.9 kg/m
) and 125 preschool-aged children (aged: 3.9 ± 0.8 years, BMI z-score: 0.3 ± 0.9, 39.2% girls) recruited from Newcastle, Australia, NSW were randomised to (i) the Healthy Youngsters, Healthy Dads (HYHD) program, or (ii) wait-list control group. The program included two fathers-only workshops (2 h each) and eight father-child weekly educational and practical sessions (75 min each), plus home-based activities targeting family physical activity and nutrition. Assessments took place at baseline, 10-weeks (post-intervention) and 9-months follow-up. The primary outcome was the children's mean steps/day at 10-weeks. Secondary outcomes included: co-physical activity, fathers' physical activity levels and parenting practices for physical activity and screen time behaviours, children's fundamental movement skill (FMS) proficiency, plus accelerometer based light physical activity (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), screen time and adiposity for fathers and children. Process measures included; attendance, satisfaction, fidelity and retention. Linear mixed models estimated the treatment effect at all time-points for all outcomes.
Intention-to-treat analyses revealed a significant group-by-time effect for steps per day at 10-weeks (+ 1417, 95%CI: 449, 2384) and 9-months follow-up (+ 1480, 95%CI: 493, 2467) in intervention children compared to control. There were also favourable group-by-time effects for numerous secondary outcomes including fathers' physical activity levels, children's FMS proficiency, and several parenting constructs. No effects were observed for both fathers' and children's accelerometer based LPA or MVPA, co-physical activity, screen-time and adiposity measures. Process evaluation data revealed very high levels of satisfaction, attendance, retention, and intervention fidelity.
Engaging fathers in a lifestyle program is a promising strategy to increase physical activity among preschool-aged children. Additional benefits to fathers' physical activity levels, children's FMS proficiency and parenting practices further support the importance of engaging fathers to improve family health outcomes.
Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12619000105145 . Registered 24/01/2019.
Abstract
Background
The ‘Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered’ (DADEE) program significantly improved physical activity levels of fathers and their daughters in an efficacy trial. However, the ...effectiveness of interventions when delivered in real-world settings needs to be established.
Purpose
To evaluate the effectiveness of the DADEE intervention when delivered in community settings by trained facilitators.
Methods
We conducted a two-arm RCT, (baseline and 3-months post-intervention assessments), in Newcastle, Australia. In 2016, 155 fathers (27–60 years) and 189 primary-school-aged daughters (4–12 years) (n = 344) were randomly allocated to the intervention (78 fathers, 95 daughters) or waitlist-control (77 fathers, 94 daughters) groups. Trained facilitators delivered the 9-week DADEE program (weekly sessions plus home-based tasks). Primary outcomes were fathers’ and daughters’ physical activity (steps/day). Secondary outcomes included screen-time, weight status, daughters’ fundamental movement skill (FMS) proficiency, perceived sports competence, and fathers’ parenting practices. Effects were assessed using linear mixed models.
Results
Primary outcome follow-up data were collected from 88% of fathers and 89% of daughters. Significant group-by-time differences in mean daily steps were found for fathers’ (adjusted difference = +1,638; 95% CI: 833, 2,443, d = 0.7) and daughters’ (adjusted difference = +1,023 steps/day; 95% CI: 259, 1,787; d = 0.4) physical activity. Significant effects were observed for daughters’ screen-time, FMS, and some parenting practices. No significant effects were identified for weight status, or fathers’screen-time or self-reported MVPA. Program attendance, satisfaction and fidelity were very high.
Conclusion
This study established the effectiveness of the DADEE intervention when delivered in community settings by trained facilitators. Importantly, the findings were comparable to those of the efficacy RCT delivered by the research team. To maximize public health benefits, a larger-scale dissemination of the program appears warranted.
Trial Registration Australian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry: ACTRN12616001270404 Human Research Ethics Committee: H-2014-0330
A father-daughter physical activity intervention improved physical activity levels of both fathers and daughters when delivered by trained facilitators in community settings.
The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK) program was designed to help fathers with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m
2
to lose weight and positively influence physical activity and dietary behaviors of their children. ...There is a need to better understand the broader impact of father-focused, healthy lifestyle programs from the perspectives of other family members. This qualitative study explored the impact of a HDHK by gathering insights from the family unit (fathers, mothers/partners and children). Fathers and children who participated in the HDHK dissemination trial from the Maitland local government area (New South Wales, Australia) (
n
= 33) and all mothers/partners of participating HDHK were invited to take part in this qualitative study. Eleven focus groups were undertaken with 25 fathers (41.9 ± 6.3 years, 32.4 ± 5.1 kg/m
2
), 15 mothers/partners’ (38.1 ± 6.6 years), and 41 children (51% male, 8.2 ± 2.1 years). Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by an independent researcher using a standard general inductive approach to qualitative analysis with thematic analysis applied. Three key themes emerged, demonstrating several personal and family program impacts. These included a positive impact on: (i) the father-child relationship, (ii) new family habits (e.g., lifestyle changes within the family unit) and (iii) fathers’ involvement and parenting practices (e.g., increase in fathers’ household responsibilities). Improving the knowledge and skills of fathers and children through evidence-based strategies may be a useful approach to strengthen their relationship, enhance parenting strategies, and optimize health behaviors. Notably, findings showed the changes made by the fathers and children positively impacted the wider family unit.
Highlights
First qualitative study to explore the impact of a father–child lifestyle program by gathering insights from the whole family unit.
Fathers and children embraced program concepts to strengthen their relationship and optimize health behaviors.
Fathers improved their parenting practices.
Changes made by fathers and children positively impacted the wider family unit.
Most family-based physical activity interventions have been modestly successful and failed to engage fathers. Also, program impact on family functioning and psychosocial outcomes are rarely measured. ...We explored the impact of an innovative father–daughter physical activity program on family functioning and psychosocial outcomes for girls using qualitative methods. Of the 115 fathers who participated in the ‘Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered’ (DADEE) pilot study, a random sample (stratified by baseline physical activity status) of 23 fathers (mean (
SD
) age: 41.4 (4.8) years) participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by an independent researcher using a mixed inductive and deductive thematic approach. Seven themes were identified highlighting improvements in: (i) daughters’ social-emotional well-being, (ii) father involvement and engagement with their daughter, (iii) fathers’ parenting skills, (iv) the father–daughter relationship, (v) co-parenting, (vi) family relationship dynamics, and (vii) knowledge and understanding of gender stereotypes and gender bias. A number of strategies were also identified as to how the program improved these outcomes. Engaging fathers and daughters in physical activity programs may have substantive benefits for daughters’ mental health as well as broader outcomes for fathers and families. Enhancing fathers’ and daughters’ knowledge and skills through evidence-based strategies may be a useful approach to optimize the well-being of families.
Highlights
First qualitative study to explore the impact of a father–daughter exercise program.
Fathers identified positive effects on their daughters’ social-emotional well-being.
Fathers improved their parenting and strengthened family relationships.
A father–daughter physical activity program can optimize family well-being.
(1) Background: The effect of fathers on dietary intake in preschool-aged children is under-explored. The aims were to: (i) evaluate the efficacy of a family-based lifestyle intervention,
, on change ...in dietary intake in fathers and their preschool-aged children post-intervention (10 weeks) and at 9 months follow-up compared to a waitlist control group and (ii) investigate associations in father-child dietary intakes. (2) Methods: Linear mixed models estimated group-by-time effects for all dietary outcomes, measured by food frequency questionnaires. Cohen's
determined effect sizes, while correlation tests determined associations in father-child dietary intakes. (3) Results: For children, medium group-by-time effects sizes were identified at 10 weeks for sodium intake (
= 0.38) and percentage energy from core foods (
= 0.43), energy-dense, nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods (
= 0.43) and prepacked snacks (
= 0.45). These findings were sustained at 9 months follow-up. For fathers, medium to large, group-by-time effect sizes were identified at 10 weeks for energy intake (
= 0.55), sodium intake (
= 0.64) and percentage energy from core foods (
= 0.49), EDNP foods (
= 0.49), and confectionary (
= 0.36). For all of these dietary variables, except sodium, effects were sustained at 9 months. Moderate to strong associations existed in father-child dietary intakes for some of the dietary variables. (4) Conclusions: Although further research is required, this study provides preliminary support for targeting fathers as agents of change to improve dietary intakes in their preschool-aged children.
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