Effects of a prenatal coparenting facilitation program on parental role adjustment and child development among parents with a child under 1 year old

Objective: Although the Family Foundation Program® has been shown to reduce postnatal depression and improve marital relations, there is no evidence of its efficacy for Japanese couples. This study aimed to clarify the effects of a coparenting program during pregnancy on parental role adjustment and child development after childbirth. Methods: The participants were 276 men and women who participated in the program from 2019 and completed the questionnaire survey within 1 year after birth (intervention group) and 211 men and women with a child aged <1 year between December 2023 and January 2024 who completed a web-based survey (control group). The survey items concerned the coparenting relationship, depression, marital relationship, parenting self-efficacy, parenting stress, satisfaction and percentage of housework and parenting responsibilities sharing, parenting enjoyment and challenges, soothing of a child, information about the child's sleep, and personal attributes (UMIN000037634). Results: Compared with the control group, the intervention group scored remarkably higher for coparenting, marital relationship, parenting efficacy, parenting enjoyment, and satisfaction with housework and parenting responsibilities sharing; scored lower for depression and parenting stress; and were more likely to soothe their child. There was no remarkable difference in parenting challenges between the groups. Conclusions: The intervention to promote coparenting during pregnancy positively affected parental role adjustment and parenting by promoting coparenting in the postpartum period. The findings indicated that the establishment of coparenting relationships was associated with greater parenting enjoyment and lower depression and parenting stress.