From Mother-Infant Dyad to Mother-Father-Infant Triad: A Cross-Sectional Study on Fathers’ Breastfeeding Attitudes and Participation

BACKGROUND AND AIM: It is important to include fathers in the evaluation of the breastfeeding process. This study aimed to assess fathers' breastfeeding attitudes and participation. METHODS: The cross-sectional study data were collected between March and June 2024 in a maternity and child hospital and completed with the participation of 194 fathers. The study data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Fathers' Breastfeeding Attitude Scale (F-BA), and Fathers' Participation in Breastfeeding Process Scale (F-PB). Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA, independent t-tests, and Pearson correlation were used in the analysis. RESULTS: < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Fathers in this study exhibited generally favorable attitudes toward breastfeeding. However, mean scores were close to the scale's cutoff value. Their level of participation varied based on contextual factors. These findings emphasize that positive attitudes are not necessarily associated with higher levels of active participation and highlight the importance of a deeper understanding of fathers' roles in the breastfeeding process.