Secondary Analysis of Fathers’ Needs and Satisfaction with Parenting Support Schemes Offered by a Local Government in Japan

Japan’s Basic Policy for Child Health and Development emphasizes the need to enhance parenting support for fathers. This study aims to evaluate fathers’ needs and satisfaction with the parenting environment and to explore associated variables, while comparing these aspects with those of mothers. This was a secondary analysis of data from a cross-sectional needs survey conducted in 2018 in Fukushima City. We analyzed data from 2085 mothers and 130 fathers who were primary caregivers. The proportion of those who rated their satisfaction with the parenting environment and support as moderate or high was 60.6% of mothers and 63.8% of fathers. Among fathers, only financial difficulty was significantly associated with satisfaction level, whereas among mothers, low satisfaction was associated with having a child in lower grades of elementary school, being a single parent, lacking parenting confidence, struggling financially, lacking access to someone for childcare advice and assistance, and being unable to use after-school children’s clubs. Overall, we found that over one-third of fathers reported low satisfaction with the parenting environment, which was associated with financial difficulties. Government measures are recommended to further address the multifaceted needs of fathers while considering financial support as a potential key component.