Fathers of children with chronic illness: Do they differ from fathers of healthy children?

This study compared 80 fathers of children with chronic illness to 80 fathers of healthy children in Israel on the following variables: stressful life events, self-esteem, social support, marital satisfaction, and involvement in the care of the child. These variables were chosen from the theoretical framework of the Double ABCX Model. The main findings indicated that fathers of children with chronic illnesses experienced a greater number of stressful life events and expressed feelings of lower self-esteem than did fathers of healthy children. However, no significant differences were found between the two groups on the other variables. Further analyses focused on (a) investigating relationships among the above variables and (b) examining the contribution of the predictors of life events, self-esteem, and social support on the dependent variables of marital satisfaction and father's involvement in the care of the child. Recommendations for family nursing in education, research, practice, and administration are discussed.