THURS-020 - The Power of Presence: A Scoping Review on Black Fathers' Involvement and Maternal Health

Brief Abstract Summary: Black American women experience pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality inequities. While fathers may play an important role in supporting the health of Black mothers, a critical assessment of the existing peer-reviewed literature is required to inform the development of research and interventions that engage Black fathers. The goal of this presentation is to provide results from a scoping review on the relationship between Black fathers’ involvement in pregnancy, birthing, and postpartum support and health outcomes among Black mothers. During this session, a synopsis of the literature examining how Black fathers’ involvement is associated with Black maternal health outcomes will be provided. Attendees will gain insight into how Black fathers’ involvement has previously been studied, and will learn how Black fathers’ can be better integrated into to the prenatal and postpartum care of Black women. Research, intervention design, and policy recommendations will be discussed.

Detailed abstract description:

Background: In the U.S., Black women face significant maternal health disparities and rising maternal mortality rates compared to other racial and ethnic groups. The role of paternal involvement among Black fathers may be an important intervention point for improving Black maternal health inequities. However, a synthesis of the literature is needed. This scoping review aims to address this gap by answering the following research questions: (1) What is the extent of research documenting the impact of Black fathers' involvement through pregnancy to the postpartum period on maternal health outcomes for Black women? and (2) How is the involvement of Black fathers associated with health outcomes for Black mothers?

Methods: This scoping review utilized PRISMA guidelines to systematically explore the literature on Black fathers' involvement and maternal health. Searches for peer-reviewed empirical studies were done across PubMed, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, and Embase. Inclusion eligibility criteria were: U.S.-based sample, published between 2014-2024, includes Black fathers or Black fatherhood, empirical quantitative or qualitative study, examines maternal health outcomes (pregnancy, postpartum health, or infant mortality) in Black mothers, considers Black fathers' involvement in the prenatal, birthing, or postpartum care of Black mothers, and examines the impact of fathers on maternal health outcomes. A total of 601 abstracts were reviewed using Rayaan to determine which articles were relevant to the aims of the scoping review.

Results: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria and full-text reviews were conducted. The data charting process was implemented using a full-text summary table to decipher further if all articles should be included by reviewing the data source, location of the study, study population (inclusion of Black moms/dads, sample size), research question, study design, measures of Black fathers’ involvement, measures of maternal health outcome(s), results of the study, study limitations, and conclusions. Seven articles met the inclusion criteria fully. The review of articles showed that paternal involvement can positively influence Black maternal health outcomes regarding reduced risks of prenatal and postpartum depression, anxiety, and poor self-reported health. However, research explicitly addressing Black fathers' involvement was limited, which supports a need for more comprehensive research on the role of Black fathers in enhancing Black maternal health.

Conclusion: This scoping review presents a significant gap in the literature regarding the impact of Black fathers on Black maternal health outcomes. Increased paternal involvement can improve Black maternal health outcomes, but further research and interventions should be conducted to increase the evidence base. By addressing this gap, there could be a decrease in maternal health disparities and overall improvement in morbidity and mortality rates for Black mothers.