ArticleJMIR mHealth and uHealth2018
How New and Expecting Fathers Engage With an App-Based Online Forum: Qualitative Analysis.
Article in JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Digital Parenting Interventions for Fathers of Infants From Conception to the Age of 12 Months: Systematic Review of Mixed Methods Studies.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Pooled it
- Relatively speaking? Partners' and family members' views and experiences of supporting breastfeeding: a systematic review of qualitative evidence.Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2021Pooled it
- Information and Communication Systems to Tackle Barriers to Breastfeeding: Systematic Search and Review.Journal of medical Internet research · 2019Pooled it
- Improving Breastfeeding by Empowering Mothers in Vietnam: A Randomised Controlled Trial of a Mobile App.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2020Trial
- Breastfeeding and Father Support: Bibliometric Analysis.Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association · 2026Article
- Help-seeking in perinatal fathers: a scoping review of needs, barriers, facilitators, and access to support.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Review
- Breastfeeding - a survey of fathers' support needs and preferred sources of information.International breastfeeding journal · 2024Article
- Exploring Maternal and Infant Health App Development and Effectiveness Research: Scoping Review.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2024Article
- Factors that influence the uptake of postnatal care from the perspective of fathers, partners and other family members: a qualitative evidence synthesis.BMJ global health · 2023Review
- Investigating Maternal Perspectives of Breastfeeding Support Targeted Towards Fathers in the Milk Man Mobile App Intervention.Maternal and child health journal · 2023Article
- BabyByte: Qualitative Research to Inform the Development of an App to Improve Responsive Feeding Practices in Parents of Infants and Toddlers.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Paternal Perinatal Experiences during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Framework Analysis of the Reddit Forum Predaddit.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2023Article
- Gender Transformative Interventions for Perinatal Mental Health in Low and Middle Income Countries-A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Impact of a Face-To-Face Versus Smartphone App Versus Combined Breastfeeding Intervention Targeting Fathers: Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2021Article
- Gamifying Breastfeeding for Fathers: Process Evaluation of the Milk Man Mobile App.JMIR pediatrics and parenting · 2019Article
- Support for the Supporter: Paternal Postpartum Loneliness and Social Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic.American journal of men's healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundBreastfeeding is important for infants, and fathers are influential in supporting their partner in their decision to breastfeed and how long they breastfeed for. Fathers can feel excluded from traditional antenatal education and support opportunities but highly value social support from peers. Online health forums can be a useful source of social support, yet little is known about how fathers would use a conversation forum embedded in a breastfeeding-focused app. Milk Man is a mobile app that aimed to increase paternal support for breastfeeding using a range of strategies, including a conversation forum.
objectiveThe aim of this study was to examine how fathers used a breastfeeding-focused conversation forum contained within a mobile app throughout the perinatal period.
methodsA qualitative analysis of comments posted by users in the online forum contained within the Milk Man app was conducted. The app contained a library of information for fathers, as well as a conversation forum. Thematic analysis was used to organize and understand the data. The NVivo 11 software package was used to code comments into common nodes, which were then organized into key themes.
resultsIn all, 208 contributors (35.5% [208/586] of those who had access to the app) posted at least once within the forum. In total, 1497 comments were included for analysis. These comments were coded to 3799 individual nodes and then summarized to 54 tree nodes from which four themes emerged to describe how fathers used the app. Themes included seek and offer support, social connection, informational support provision, and sharing experiences. Posting in the forum was concentrated in the antenatal period and up to approximately 6 weeks postpartum.
conclusionsThese data show that fathers are prepared to use a breastfeeding-focused online forum in a variety of ways to facilitate social support. Fathers can be difficult to reach in the perinatal period, yet engaging them and increasing social support is important. This research demonstrates the acceptability of an innovative way of engaging new and expecting fathers.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.