Investigation of the effect of fathers' postnatal feelings of security on father-infant attachment

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the fathers' postnatal sense of security in the postnatal period and examine the effect of this feelings on father-infant attachment.

Methods

This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in Turkey with 296 fathers who accompanied their wives to the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Outpatient Clinic of a state hospital during the postpartum period. Data was collected between February and August 2024 using a demographic information form, the Fathers' Postnatal Feelings of Security Scale (FPFSS), and the Postnatal Paternal-Infant Attachment Questionnaire (PPAQ).

Results

A positive and significant relationship was found between fathers' postnatal sense of security and father-infant attachment (r = 0.287, p < 0.001). In addition, it was determined that a one-unit increase in the FPFSS score provided a 0.371-unit increase in the father-infant attachment scale score. In the regression model predicting attachment, the variables of fathers' age, number of children, place of residence, quality of the relationship with spouse, readiness to become a father and FPFSS explained 39.6 % of the total variance in father-infant attachment.

Conclusion

These findings reveal that fathers' sense of security in the postnatal period strengthens father-infant attachment and point to the need for early assessment and development of supportive interventions for fathers in this area.