Responsible Engaged and Loving (REAL) Fathers Intervention Evaluation

Summary

The goal of this stepped-wedge cluster randomized control trial is to assess whether a Ugandan community-based intervention for young fathers (ages 18-25 years) of children ages 0-3 years impacts fathers' knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding positive parenting practices, father-child interaction, harsh physical punishment of children, and intimate partner violence.

Conditions

• Violence, Gender-Based
• Violence, Domestic
• Violence, Sexual
• Violence, Physical
• Contraception Behavior
• Child Development
• Child Abuse
• Communication, Partner
• Conflict Resolution
• Parent-Child Relations

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Responsible Engaged and Loving (REAL) Fathers Initiative

REAL Fathers is a multilevel norms-shifting intervention among: young fathers (ages 16-25 whose oldest child is under the age of 3); couple dyads (fathers and wives); mentoring dyads and groups; and communities. Respected men in the community are identified by participating young fathers, their partners and community members to become mentors. Mentors participate in a training and mentor young fathers through home and group sessions on conflict resolution, non-violent discipline, family planning, and couple communication. Mentoring is supplemented with a monthly poster campaign designed to reinforce messages from the home and group mentoring sessions and a community celebration. REAL Fathers aims to build positive partnerships and parenting practices among young fathers to: 1) reduce incidence of intimate partner violence; 2) reduce harsh physical punishment of children; 3) improve early childhood development; 4) decrease unmet need for family planning.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Impact and Innovations Development Centre (IIDC), Uganda

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• NaNa Development Consultants Ltd, Uganda

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• LEGO Foundation

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• University of California, San Diego

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Kathryn M Barker, PhD, MPH · University of California, San Diego

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

SINGLE

Model

SEQUENTIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

16 Years

Max Age

25 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-10-18

Primary Completion

2026-12-31

Completion

2027-10-31

Countries

• Uganda

Study Locations