Table 2.
Study characteristics (categorized by the topic of intervention development)a,b.
| Study (author, year, country) | Study type | Study aim | Target population | Intervention period | Sample size | |
| Coparenting and partner support | ||||||
|
|
Pilkington et al [69], 2017, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group—qualitative | Testing intervention usability | Mothers and fathers | Pregnancy and postpartum | 5 |
|
|
Firouzan et al [70], 2020, Iran | RCTc | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Pregnancy only | 66 with 23 (35%) in the digital intervention group (in-person and SMS text message), 22 (33%) in the CDd intervention group, and 21 (32%) in the control group |
|
|
Marcell et al [71], 2021, United States | Pilot RCT proposed | Intervention development (protocol paper) | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 120 with 60 (50%) in the intervention group and 60 (50%) in the control groupe |
| Parenting coping, satisfaction, and self-efficacy | ||||||
|
|
Hudson et al [72], 2003, United States | Pilot pre-post nonequivalent groups | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Postpartum only | 34 with 14 (41%) in the intervention group and 20 (58%) in the control group |
|
|
Salonen et al [73], 2008, Finland | Cross-sectional observation of participants at 2 hospitals | Intervention development | Mothers and fathers | Pregnancy and postpartum | 525 with 307 (58.5%) in the intervention group and 218 (41.5%) in the control group |
|
|
Salonen et al [74], 2011, Finland | Pre-post nonequivalent groups | Testing intervention efficacy | Mothers and fathers | Pregnancy and postpartum | 436 with 53 (12.2%) in the nonuser intervention group, 149 (34.2%) in the user intervention group, and 234 (53.7%) in the control group |
|
|
Feinberg et al [75], 2020, United States | Pilot RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 36 with 15 (42%) in the intervention group and 21 (58%) in the control group |
| Parenting skills and knowledge | ||||||
|
|
Fletcher et al [76], 2008, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group | Intervention development | Fathers only | Pregnancy only | 105 |
|
|
Fletcher et al [77], 2016, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group (mixed methods) | Intervention development and testing (quality and acceptability of SMS text messages) | Mothers and fathers | Postpartum only | 67 with 46 (69%) in phase 2 (assessing acceptability) and 21 (31%) in phase 3 (message evaluation) |
|
|
Fletcher et al [78], 2017, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group (mixed methods) | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Pregnancy and postpartum | 46 |
|
|
Fletcher et al [79], 2017, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Pregnancy and postpartum | 520 |
|
|
Mackert et al [80], 2017, United States | Pilot posttest–only single group (mixed methods) | Intervention development (investigate the value of the intervention) | Men only | Pregnancy only | 23 |
|
|
Lavin Venegas et al [81], 2019, Canada | Pilot RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Mothers and fathers | Postpartum only | 25 with 15 (60%) in the intervention group and 10 (40%) in the control group |
|
|
Fletcher et al [82], 2019, Australia | Single group, descriptive | Intervention development—asking EAGf for feedback on content | Couples expected in intervention testing | Pregnancy and postpartum | 14 (EAG members); 50 partners is the planned sample size for future testinge |
|
|
Fletcher et al [83], 2019, Australia | Posttest–only single group—qualitative | Testing mechanisms of impact of the intervention | Fathers only | Pregnancy and postpartum | 40 |
|
|
Fletcher et al [84], 2020, Australia | Pilot posttest–only single group—qualitative | Testing intervention feasibility | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 23 |
|
|
Lanning et al [85], 2021, Australia | Posttest–only single group—qualitative | Development in progress | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 23 |
|
|
Shorey et al [86], 2021, Singapore | Describing intervention development | Development in progress | Couples | Postpartum only | 3 pairs of parents in the relevance cycle and another 10 people (including parents and research team members) for the evaluation cycleg |
|
|
Hägi-Pedersen et al [87], 2021, Denmark | Qualitative posttest–only single group | Testing intervention | Couples | Postpartum only | 5 |
|
|
Kavanagh et al [88], 2021, Australia | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 124 with 62 (50.0 %) in each intervention group (treatment and active control) |
| Infant feeding or breastfeeding | ||||||
|
|
White et al [39], 2016, Australia | Single group and single time point, including qualitative focus groups (mixed methods) | Intervention design, development, and pilot testing | Fathers only | Pregnancy and postpartum | 22 with 18 (82%) in the focus group and 4 (18%) in the test group |
|
|
Abbass-Dick et al [89], 2017, Canada | Needs assessment and pre-post test | Intervention development and pilot efficacy testing | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 50 with 15 (30%) in phase 1 (needs assessment), 35 (70%) different individuals in phase 2 (efficacy); 24 (69%) fathers from phase 2 did phase 3 as well (satisfaction) |
|
|
White et al [90], 2018, Australia | Single-group qualitative analysis | Testing intervention use | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 586 with 208 (35.5%) in the contributor sample (those who posted on the forum at least once) |
|
|
White et al [91], 2019, Australia | Process evaluation | Describe process evaluation | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 400 |
|
|
Abbass-Dick et al [92], 2020, Canada | RCT and mixed methods | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 104 coparents with 50 (48.1%) in the intervention group and 54 (51.9%) in the control group. Coparents included male spouses (85.5%), same-sex spouses (1.8%), male partners (8.8%), maternal mother (2.7%), and friend (0.9%) |
|
|
Scott et al [93], 2021, Australia | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 1092 with 299 (27.38%) in the digital intervention group, 263 (24.08%) in the face-to-face intervention group, 271 (24.82%) in the control group, and 259 (23.72%) in the combination group |
| Parenting involvement | ||||||
|
|
Rhoads et al [94], 2015, United States | Posttest–only single group | Pilot feasibility testing | Mothers and fathers | Postpartum only | 101 |
|
|
Bonifacio et al [95], 2020, Brazil | Parallel cluster RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 186 with 62 (33.3%) in the digital intervention group, 73 (39.2%) in the nondigital intervention group, and 51 (27.4%) in the control group |
| Injury prevention | ||||||
|
|
Yu et al [96], 2017, China | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Postpartum only | 195 with 99 (50.7%) in the intervention group and 96 (49.2%) in the control group at 6 months and 97 (49.7%) in the intervention group and 93 (47.7%) in the control group at 12 months |
| Mental health and well-being | ||||||
|
|
Da Costa et al [46], 2017, Canada | Needs assessment—descriptive | Intervention development | Fathers only | Pregnancy only | 174 |
|
|
Missler et al [97], 2020, Netherlands | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 89 with 45 (51%) in the intervention group and 44 (49%) in the control group |
|
|
Zhang et al [98], 2021, China | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Postpartum only | 84 couples with 42 (50%) in the intervention group and 42 (50%) in the control groupg |
| Parent-child relationship | ||||||
|
|
Benzies et al [99], 2013, Canada | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Postpartum only | 111 with 46 (41.4%) in 2 visit intervention groups, 23 (20.7%) in 4 visit intervention groups, and 42 (37.8%) in the control group |
|
|
Manav et al [100], 2021, Turkey | RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Postpartum only | 32 fathers with 16 (50%) in the intervention group and 16 (50%) in the control group |
|
|
Doaltabadi and Amiri-Farahani [101], 2021, Iran | Pre-post nonequivalent groups (quasi-experimental study) | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy only | 114 with 38 (33.3%) in each digital intervention, face-to-face intervention, and control group |
|
|
Park and Bang [102], 2022, Korea | Quasi-experimental | Testing intervention efficacy | Fathers only | Postpartum only | 32 with 15 (47%) in the intervention group and 17 (53%) in the control group |
| Child health | ||||||
|
|
Whooten et al [103], 2021, United States | Describing the intervention and protocol for RCT | Intervention development and protocol for testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Pregnancy and postpartum | 250 mother-father-infant triads, with 125 (50%) in the intervention group and 125 (50%) in the control groupe,g |
| NICUh care | ||||||
|
|
Garfield et al [104], 2016, United States | Pilot RCT | Testing intervention efficacy | Couples | Postpartum only | 41 with 20 (49%) in the intervention group and 21 (51%) in the control group |
|
|
Giuseppe et al [105], 2022, Italy | Prospective cohort pilot study | Testing intervention satisfaction and efficacy | Couples | Postpartum only | 68 with 20 (29%) in the digital intervention group (Telematic-FCCi) and 24 (35%) in each of the other face-to-face comparison groups (FCC and no FCC) |
aArticles are grouped by primary outcomes. However, many papers include outcomes that fit in various categories.
bThere were mothers included in some studies but only reporting on father or partner sample size when provided.
cRCT: randomized controlled trial.
dCD: compact disc.
eThe sample size reported refers to the planned sample size for the proposed future study.
fEAG: expert advisory group.
gMother and father dyads combined in reporting.
hNICU: neonatal intensive care unit.
iFCC: family-centered care.