Mihić, Ivana and Mašić, Katarina and Marić Ognjenović, Miljana and Žujović, Anja (2025) Gender Balanced Parenting Support: Fathers’ Perceptions of Healthcare System Support. Stanovništvo, 63 (2). pp. 249-272. ISSN 0038-982X
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Research shows that father involvement contributes to child development, the quality of maternal parenting, and the overall functioning of the family. However, there remains a significant gap between the guidance offered by scientific research for better child-rearing practices and the practical support available to fathers, especially within institutional systems such as healthcare. The healthcare system, in particular, plays a pivotal role from the earliest days of parenthood, offering very important opportunities to support both mothers and fathers in their caregiving roles. This study aims to describe fathers' experiences with the support they receive from the healthcare. The study involved 367 fathers (M = 37 years; average age of the oldest child 58 months). The majority of fathers are employed (94.8%) and had at least a secondary education (42.2%). Findings suggest that healthcare professionals are rarely recognized as significant sources of parenting support. During pregnancy monitoring, fathers are almost never invited to check-ups, and discussions about the baby’s development and the father’s role are largely absent. Although pediatricians invite fathers more frequently, still about 50% of fathers report that they have never been invited to pediatric consultations (healthy baby check-ups).
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | father involvement, healthcare system, parenting support, nurturing care, gender balanced parenting |
| Institutional centre: | Centre for political research and public opinion |
| Depositing User: | D. Arsenijević |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Dec 2025 10:28 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Dec 2025 10:28 |
| URI: | http://iriss.idn.org.rs/id/eprint/2844 |
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