Abstract
Expectant fathers who struggle to cope with the fear of childbirth often develop negative attitudes toward attending birth. This study aimed to compare fear of childbirth and attitudes toward participation in birth among expectant fathers with primiparous and multiparous partners. The researchers conducted this prospective comparative study with 142 expectant fathers, including 70 fathers with primiparous partners and 72 fathers with multiparous partners. The study used a Personal Information Form, the Fathers' Fear of Childbirth Scale (FFCS), and the Attitude Scale Toward Participation in Birth for Father Candidates (ASTPBFC) to collect data. Fathers with primiparous partners reported significantly higher levels of fear of childbirth than fathers with multiparous partners (p < .05). In addition, fathers with multiparous partners demonstrated more positive attitudes toward attending birth than fathers with primiparous partners (p < .05). Age explained 22.20% of the variance in the positive emotions subdimension of the ASTPBFC among fathers with primiparous partners and 34.99% among fathers with multiparous partners. Overall, fathers reported moderate levels of fear of childbirth, with first-time fathers experiencing higher fear than fathers with multiparous partners. Fathers with primiparous partners also showed more negative attitudes toward participation in birth. Furthermore, increasing fear of childbirth negatively affected fathers' attitudes toward attending birth.