Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT06289101

text4FATHER R21: Social Media - Efficacy Trial

This project will be the first to examine the efficacy of a text messaging intervention designed to recruit first-time fathers-to-be using social media across the U.S. to become involved during pregnancy through two months of postnatal age to support infant, mother, and father well-being.

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Fathers Mobile Health Nuclear Family

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

About this study

Father engagement in the prenatal and infant periods is associated with improved infant outcomes (e.g., physical, social and emotional health and development), and mother and father well-being. However, this key window of opportunity has been insufficiently leveraged to promote father engagement, especially, first-time fathers-to-be.

text4FATHER, a multi-modal text messaging program, is designed to increase first-time fathers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and behavioral engagement. text4FATHER sends texts twice-weekly to fathers with threaded content to support infant, partner, and father well-being including resource weblinks to support behavior change from mid-pregnancy through 2 months postnatally. Text content was developed using formative research and feedback from the target population, consensus building with experts, and an evidence-based review.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Aged ≥18 years
  • Live in the U.S.
  • Speak English
  • Mother gestational age at enrollment less than 25 weeks
  • First-time father-to-be
  • Willing/able to receive texts.

Exclusion criteria

  • Individuals who are minors
  • Do not speak English
  • Unable to provide informed consent
  • Not a first-time father
  • Not willing/unable to receive texts
  • In the past 12 months, any safety concern reported between father-to-be and the mother-to-be, including report of any physical, emotional, sexual harm, threatening behaviors, police involvement, restraining or protective order

Treatment and study plan

text4FATHER

Behavioral

Receipt of twice-weekly texts that include resource links and instructions to support behavior change (e.g., videos, infographics) and start mid-pregnancy and continuing through 2 months of age.

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Self-efficacy as assessed by the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC)

    Time frame: Baseline and 7 months

    Self-report measure with higher score indicating greater confidence in overall parenting skills. This measure is scaled with range from 1 (low) to 6 (high). Mean range 1-6.

  2. Karitane Parenting Confidence Scale (KPCS)

    Time frame: Baseline and 7 months

    Self-report measure with higher score indicating greater confidence in infant care behaviors. This measure is scaled with range from 0 (no, hardly ever) to 3 (yes, most times). Mean range 0-3.

  3. Father Engagement Scale (FES)

    Time frame: Baseline and 7 months

    Self-report measure with higher score indicating greater degree of father engagement in infant care activities. This measure is scaled with range from 0 (never) to 4 (every day or almost every day). Mean range 0-4.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Arik V Marcell, MD, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

4432878946

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Johns Hopkins University

Other

Collaborators

  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)

Registry information

Official study title

Adapting text4FATHER to Directly Link to First-time Expectant Fathers Using Social Media to Improve Infant and Family Health

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Mar 1, 2024
Registry last updated
Jul 15, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.