“It feels more natural for me to take a step back”: Cross-cultural analysis of paternal care in paediatric diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions among children globally. While advances in treatment have improved outcomes, paediatric diabetes remains an intensive condition that demands ongoing care and vigilance from parents. Despite growing attention to family-centred care, fathers' caregiving roles remain underexplored-particularly how they are shaped by cultural, institutional, and gendered expectations. This article addresses this gap by examining paternal caregiving in families managing type 1 diabetes in Denmark and Greece. Drawing on ethnographic data from clinical and domestic settings from August 2023 to July 2024, and employing a phenomenological approach, the study identifies shared patterns and culturally specific dynamics. Fathers across both sites reported a significant cognitive and emotional burden but rarely expressed this openly. Many described their roles as active and engaged yet carried out behind-the-scenes. While Danish fathers attributed this marginalization to internal family dynamics and strivings for good mothering, Greek fathers tended to frame it as a cultural and moral inevitability. Their accounts reveal how fathers strive to participate meaningfully in their child's care whilst navigating ambiguous definitions of care and who is expected to provide it. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of fatherhood in chronic care and offers practical implications for clinicians seeking to reduce caregiver burden. Incorporating fathers' experiences and supporting their caregiving roles can help foster more equitable and sustainable models of paediatric diabetes care.