Fathers in the Care of Children with Disabilities: An Exploratory Qualitative Study

Objective: to explore the perception and experience of fathers of children with disabilities in caring for their children; to know their role and how these tasks impact their daily life, health and physical, mental and/or emotional well-being. Methodology: qualitative approach study with phenomenological design. The sample consisted of seven young fathers of underage children with various diagnoses. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews; the discourse analysis was carried out through open and axial coding processes. Three themes emerged from the results of the analysis: (1) shared responsibilities, (2) somewhat difficult to fit in, and (3) either you join or you split. Results: Fathers must readjust their work schedule, reduce their working hours, or give up their job altogether to take care of their children, as well as give up their social life. They lack time to enjoy their leisure time, to spend time with their partner, to take care of themselves. This involvement in caregiving generates an important occupational imbalance that has repercussions above all on their mental health. Conclusions: The sharing of caregiving tasks also impacts significantly on parents’ lives, it also takes away time and opportunities, and sometimes health and quality of life.

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PARENTAL AGE AND SEVERITY OF OROFACIAL CLEFTS

ABSTRACTOBJECTIVESThis study aims to investigate the relationship between paternal age, maternal age, and both on the severity of orofacial clefts.DESIGNThis was a retrospective study of cases which were subjects clinically diagnosed with non-syndromic cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). Data was obtained from the AFRICRAN project database on Nigerian non-syndromic orofacial cleft cases.SETTINGThe samples for cases in this study were obtained at the Cleft clinic of Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos.OUTCOMEPrimary outcome measure is severity of orofacial clefts and secondary outcome measure is to evaluate the effect of parental age in determining the incidence of left or right sided orofacial clefts.RESULTSThere is no statistical significant association between type of CL ± P and parental age in young fathers (p=0.93). When old fathers are considered, percentage of complete (more severe) CL ± P cases increases especially in old mothers and this was statistically significant (p=0.036). In old fathers, the risk of CL ± P is increased (OR: 2.66, CI: 1.04-6.80) and also there is increased risk of developing right sided CL ± P (OR: 1.61, CI: 1.0-2.59). There is reduced risk of isolated cleft palate in young fathers (OR: 0.36, CI: 0.07-1.71) but the risk increases when considering complete types (more severe) of isolated cleft palates (OR: 1.63, CI: 0.71-3.7)CONCLUSIONThe study shows a higher risk of CL ± P is associated with increase father’s age.

How young, disadvantaged fathers are affected by socioeconomic and relational barriers: a UK-based qualitative study

This article is based on the interviews of nine young, socially disadvantaged fathers from the UK. Young fathers are more likely to experience socioeconomic deprivation and disrupted pathways towards parenthood, which affect their participation in socially accepted trajectories of ‘father involvement’. Whilst this has received some attention in research, studies have largely neglected to examine the lived experiences of such fathers directly. The current article aims to address this gap, building upon the limited body of research that exists exploring the impact of socioeconomic and relational barriers on father involvement. In this study, three interrelated themes demonstrate the cyclical nature of generational disadvantage, reduced socioeconomic circumstances and disrupted relationships, providing a different perspective on the decreased levels of involvement exhibited by young fathers in prior research. The findings also enlighten our understanding of how these fathers can be better supported in policy and practice, thereby contributing to current academic debate.

Conclusion: Anchoring in 2020

The conclusion of Writing Black Scotland addresses developments in the decade to 2020. It tracks the changing pattern in the publishing of Black writers, suggesting that the period after the 1997 referendum was a particular fertile and nationally ‘necessary’ point for such publishing. The conclusion reflects on the current state of Black writing in Scotland, noting its strong grassroots presence and the work of writers like Hannah Lavery, as well as acknowledging the role race played in the 2014 referendum on independence. Meanwhile, ongoing developments in ‘Black Britain’ such as celebratory accounts of the Markle-Windsor wedding and the Stormzy Glastonbury set, suggest that the practice of refurbishing Britishness via appeals to post-racial commonality remains an ongoing political strategy for the state. The book concludes with an observation about the complexity of Blackness as a formation in Scotland with reference to the respective work of Lavery and the Edinburgh band Young Fathers.