NCT06289101

text4FATHER R21: Social Media - Efficacy Trial

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

• Status: Recruiting
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 180 (estimated)
• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins University · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

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.

Detailed description

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.

Conditions

• Fathers
• Mobile Health
• Nuclear Family

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	text4FATHER	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.

Timeline

• Start date: 2024-09-10
• Primary completion: 2026-07-01
• Completion: 2026-08-01
• First posted: 2024-03-01
• Last updated: 2025-09-18

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States