Paternal Involvement in the Management of Pediatric Chronic Diseases: Associations with Adherence, Quality of Life, and Health Status

TLDR

The study investigates how paternal involvement in pediatric chronic disease management relates to child outcomes and proposes that longitudinal research could determine whether such involvement warrants clinical intervention. The authors assessed paternal involvement using the Dads' Active Disease Support scale and measured treatment adherence, quality of life, health status, and health‑care utilization in 190 parent–child dyads across six chronic diseases. Among adolescents, greater paternal involvement was associated with maintained treatment adherence and better quality of life, while no significant associations were observed for younger children or for health status and health‑care utilization.

Abstract

Objectives This article reports associations among paternal involvement in pediatric chronic disease management and child outcomes. Methods The Dads' Active Disease Support scale (DADS) and measures of treatment adherence, quality of life, health status, and health care utilization were obtained for youths with six chronic diseases, with complete data sets obtained from 190 couples. Results Paternal involvement was not associated with these outcomes among younger children. Among adolescents, mother-reported and father-reported DADS scores indicating more paternal involvement were associated with maintenance, rather than deterioration, of treatment adherence and more favorable quality of life. Youths' health status and health care utilization were not related significantly to paternal involvement. Conclusions More paternal involvement was associated with more favorable adherence and quality of life among adolescents but not associated with health status or health care utilization. Longitudinal studies could verify whether paternal involvement merits clinical intervention.