menshealthaustralia.net

 Fatherhood: the Male Pregnancy?

Is there such a thing as the male pregnancy? Dr Jonica Newby follows three dads-to-be, testing their hormones and their humour – as they make the transition to fatherhood.

 Stay-at-home fathers 'up 10-fold' (UK)

The number of stay-at-home fathers in the UK has risen 10-fold in the last decade, a survey suggests. The results of the survey of 1,000 parents suggest around 6% of fathers, or 600,000 men, are now their child's primary carer, up from 60,000 in 2000. The majority of stay-at-home fathers quizzed said the reason for this was because the mother earned more money. The web survey for insurance firm Aviva said the mother earned more in one in six of all the households it surveyed.

The figures also suggested 18% of couples shared childcare responsibilities equally. Adrienne Burgess, research director at the Fatherhood Institute, said the findings showed men wanted to spend "more time" at home. "It just isn't the same [now], there are more women in higher education and are starting to earn quite a lot," she said. She acknowledged rising childcare costs mean some parents are forced to give up work, but said some men also want a closer relationship with their family.

 Dads as Parents - physical activity study

My name is Kyra Hamilton from the School of Psychology and Counselling at the Queensland University of Technology and I’m doing a PhD into understanding the factors that influence physical activity in parents of young children. The study has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee (ref# 0800000516). If you’d like to help me in this study I’m looking for Dads 18 years of age and older who are the parents of at least one child aged less than 5 years to participate in an on-line survey and then a follow-up telephone survey, 1-week later.

 New dad or dad to be? Join our nationwide study

s your wife/partner pregnant or have you just had a baby? Well, we need you. Catalyst has teamed up with UK expert Dr Arthur Brennan to run the first national study of the impact of pregnancy on men’s health. What happens to blokes while their loved ones are overtaken by back pain and food cravings? The results of our study will be included in a big fatherhood science special to be broadcast on Catalyst in 2010. So come on, men of Australia, join in.

 How parenthood turns males into all-round good blokes

Becoming a father has a positive affect on men's health with 74 per cent of new dads saying the birth of a son or daughter motivated them to shape up to be there for their child's future. New fathers reported eating more healthily (35 per cent), exercising more (32 per cent), and cutting back on the booze (19 per cent) after the birth of their child. Others said they had stopped partying and started a weight-loss campaign after bringing their child home. Researchers at NorthWestern University in Chicago also found fathers were spending more time with their children and their involvement had hugely positive effects. Children reared by fathers who spent time with them and who were involved in their care and welfare were found to have greater language skills, higher academic achievements, higher self-esteem, lower depression and anxiety levels and less delinquent behaviour.

 Fathers Matter Parenting Resource

Fathers often underestimate how important they really are to their children. Fathers are just as important as mothers. The Victorian publication Fathers Matter offers practical information for fathers on bonding with your children, everyday fatherhood, rough and tumble play and parenting after separation. Being a father is one of the most rewarding life experiences a man can have. This publication describes the rewards and benefits of choosing to be an involved father, and what that means for men and their children. The booklet also has an extensive list of the services available for fathers. To read online or print out this new parenting resource, see Fathers Matter (PDF - 2.2MB). Copies of this publication are available from Parentline on 132 289.