Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #121071

Elizabeth Sloand, MS, CRNP, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, 525 N. Wolfe St, Room 452, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-614-4543, bsloand@son.jhmi.edu

Fathers clubs have existed for over ten years in selected rural villages in southwest Haiti as part of the primary care program of the Haitian Health Foundation (HHF). Fathers meet regularly to learn how to best care for their families. An evaluation of the clubs is underway to determine whether the presence of a fathers' group in a village has had a positive impact on child health indicators. The evaluation consists of a quasi-experimental comparative design and qualitative techniques. Children of fathers who participate in a fathers club will be compared to children in a neighboring village where there is no fathers club. Additionally, children of member fathers will be compared to children of non-member fathers within the same village. HHF has maintained a rich computerized data base of all children in these villages since 1988, which includes many important child and family health entries. The research will assess Vitamin A, immunization status, birth spacing, and infant growth. Qualitative research will explore differences in breastfeeding, child nutrition practices, and management of sick children. Results of this unique evaluation will be used by HHF to improve fathers groups and engage hundreds of other fathers in villages that do not yet have an active fathers group. Results of the evaluation will be informative for health care providers and administrators of pediatric and family health programs throughout Haiti and in other developing countries.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• discuss the development of fathers clubs in rural Haiti.
• Describe the activities of fathers clubs
• identify child health outcomes that have been affected by fathers clubs

Keywords: Child Health, Developing Countries

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.