Association of Paternity Leave with Impaired Father–Infant Bonding: Findings from a Nationwide Online Survey in Japan

Abstract

Although the number of fathers taking childcare leave is increasing, the impact of paternity leave on father–infant bonding remains to be fully investigated. This study aimed to assess the association between paternity leave and father–infant bonding among fathers with children under two years old. A cross-sectional study was performed using data from the Japan COVID-19 and Society Internet Survey study, a nationwide online survey conducted between July and August 2021 (N = 1194). Father–infant bonding was assessed by the Japanese version of the Mother–Infant Bonding Scale (MIBS-J), which comprised two subscales (lack of affection (LA), and anger and rejection (AR)), with a higher score denoting poor bonding. Four hundred (33.5%) fathers self-reported taking childcare leave. Paternity leave was associated with higher total MIBS-J score and AR score after adjusting for covariates (coefficient 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.06–0.96, coefficient 0.26; 95% CI 0.03–0.49, respectively), but not with LA score (coefficient 0.10; 95% CI −0.13–0.34). There was no trend in the association between paternity leave and total MIBS-J score by children’s age group (p for trend = 0.98). Paternity leave was associated with impaired bonding, especially with increased anger and rejection, among fathers with children under two years of age.

Factors associated with father-infant bonding in the COVID-19 pandemic: An internet-based cross-sectional study in Japan

“…Such mental health issues as paternal stress and anxiety are related to bonding between fathers and their children [5][6][7][8] . In addition, attendance at birth 9,10 , parental leave 11 , workload 8 and marital relationships 6,7,12 have also been reported as factors related to fatherinfant bonding in previous studies.…”

“…Previous studies found that the father's presence at birth 9,10 , participation in paternity classes 9,12 , number of children 6 , parental leave status 11 , and developmental delay in a child 24 were associated with father-infant bonding. As paternal attributes, medical history including depression 25 , the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression scale as mental health for fathers 8,25,26 were reported as factors associated with father-infant bonding.…”

“…The study was conducted using the Japan Covid-19 and Society Internet Survey (JACSIS), a nationwide cross-sectional online survey conducted in 2021 21 . We used data from the pregnancy and maternity survey, which includes data on fathers whose partners are currently pregnant or postpartum 11 . The study samples for this survey were retrieved from the pooled panels of the internet research company Rakuten Insight, Inc., Hong Kong, which holds approximately 2.3 million panelists who voluntarily registered for small incentive points they receive when completing questionnaires 11,21 .…”

The differential association between social capital and benevolent sexism belief by gender in Japan

“…The study samples were obtained from the pooled panels of an internet research company, Rakuten Insight, Inc. The survey requests were sent by the research agency to the panelists who were selected by sex, age, and prefecture category using simple random sampling (Rakuten Insight, Inc., holds approximately 2.3 million panelists who registered voluntarily for the small incentives they receive when they complete questionnaires) [35]. Of all respondents to the 2015-2021 survey, a follow-up survey was conducted from September 27-October 29, 2021 for the 33,081 respondents who could be contacted by the survey rm at the time of the survey, and responses were obtained from 22,838 respondents (response rate = 22,838/33,081 = 69%).…”

Mother-infant bonding and its predictors among pregnant women in Saudi Arabia

“…Muller and Mercer (1993) claimed it was more than just actions and described her as a special bond between her mother and her fetus. The focus on the value of a mother-infant bond (MIB) is a common feature of all of these concepts (Terada et al, 2022).…”