In later life, fathers tend to have poorer heart health compared to non-fathers, according to findings from the first longitudinal, multi-ethnic US study examining fatherhood and cardiovascular health.
Despite variations based on the age at which men become fathers and the ethnic backgrounds of participants, the stress and responsibilities of parenting appear to challenge maintaining healthy heart habits.
US researchers suggest their study underscores areas where fathers could benefit from better community and healthcare support.
“The changes in heart health we found suggest that the added responsibility of childcare and the stress of transitioning to fatherhood may make it difficult for men to maintain a healthy lifestyle, such as a healthy diet and exercise,” says the study’s first author, internist and pediatrician John James Parker from Northwestern University.
Parker and his colleagues analyzed data from 2,814 men aged 45–84, who were monitored for up to 18 years. Heart health was assessed through self-reported diet, exercise, and smoking habits, as well as recorded measurements of body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
Not only was heart health generally poorer for fathers compared to men who had never been parents, but it was notably worse for those who became fathers at 25 or younger – particularly Black and Hispanic men, who also had higher death rates.
Several factors could contribute to these statistics. Younger dads may be less financially stable and less able to take time off work, the research team suggests.
“A lot of times we focus on the health of mothers and children, and we don’t even think of fathers, but their health has a major influence on their family,” says Parker. “To improve the health of families, we need to consider the multi-directional relationship among mothers, fathers, other caregivers, and children.”
While the data doesn’t prove a direct cause-and-effect relationship, and the health differences between the groups weren’t huge, they were statistically significant. Given that heart disease is the leading cause of death among US men, this association merits further investigation.
Interestingly, factoring in all causes, fathers’ overall mortality rate was lower than that of non-fathers. After age adjustment, Black fathers were the only racial and ethnic subgroup with a lower death rate than their non-father counterparts, suggesting that fatherhood might promote a healthier lifestyle in this group.
As the researchers highlight, fathers’ health impacts not only themselves but also their families. While some changes that accompany fatherhood might be inevitable, not all of them are.
“We really need to study fathers as a unique population and track men’s health outcomes as they become fathers,” Parker emphasizes. “Cardiovascular health is especially important since the health behaviors and factors are all modifiable.”
The research is published in AJPM Focus.