Is a Healthy Lifestyle Related to Stress, Parenting Confidence, and Health Symptoms among New Fathers?
Abstract
A healthy lifestyle is widely recognized as important in preventing disease and disability. This study examined whether in the transition to fatherhood a healthy lifestyle was related to perceived stress, parenting confidence, and physical health symptoms. Survey data from 87 fathers were examined for relationships between lifestyle, measured by 6 subscales of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile (HPLP), and perceived stress, parenting confidence, and health symptoms. In general, a healthier lifestyle, especially HPLP self-actualization and stress-management subscales, was related to less perceived stress, more parenting confidence, and fewer health symptoms. Higher HPLP nutrition and exercise scores were related to fewer health symptoms; higher exercise and seeking-inter-personal-support scores were related to higher parenting confidence. Also, higher social desirability scores, a confounding influence, were related to less perceived stress. The authors conclude that health-promotion behaviours may be an important personal resource in maintaining health and promoting well-being among new fathers.Downloads
Published
1998-04-13
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Articles in this journal are made available under a Creative Commons Attribution License. Copyright has been assigned to the McGill Library and Archives. Authors retain all moral rights in their original work.