Factors That Influence the Amount of Time Spent on Child Care and Housework by Fathers until One Month after Child Birth

Purpose: This study aimed to identify the factors that influence the amount of spent on child care and housework by fathers.

Methods:

The subjects were 24 men who were to be first-time fathers. The subjects participated in the fathers’ class developed by the researcher. After the class, the questionnaire was sent to the subjects. Multiple regression and path analyses were conducted.  This survey was approved by the Ethics Review Committee of the organization with which the researchers belongs.

 Results:

 The mean age of the subjects was 33.4 years old. The lecture of ‘The response way when a child cries’ in the fathers’ class correlated with the amount of time spent on child care through development as a father. The lecture of ‘the image of feeding schedule’ in the fathers’ class correlated with the amount of time spent on child care through development as a father and the sense of burden related to child care. In addition, The lecture of ‘the image of feeding schedule’ in the fathers’ class correlated with the amount of time spent on housework through equalitarian sex role attitudes and acceptance of a role in housework. The lecture of ‘the importance of the father’s participation in housework’ in the fathers’ class correlated with the amount of time spent on housework through the acceptance of a role in housework.

Conclusion:

The fathers’ class was found to influence the amount of time spent on child care by fathers through the development as a father and the sense of burden related to child care. The fathers’ class was found to influence the amount of time spent on housework by fathers through equalitarian sex role attitudes and acceptance of a role in housework.