Later in life, fathers have poorer heart health compared to non-fathers, according to findings from the first longitudinal, multi-ethnic US study to look at fatherhood and . Although there were variations based on the age at which men become fathers and on the ethnic background of participants, it seems that the stress and responsibilities of parenting might make it more difficult to maintain healthy heart habits. The US researchers suggest their study highlights areas where dads might be by their communities and by healthcare professionals.
"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," the first author of the study, internist and pediatrician John James Parker from Northwestern University. Parker and colleagues looked at data collected on 2,814 men aged 45–84, who were monitored for up to 18 years. Heart health was assessed through a combination of self-reporting on diet, exercise, and smoking habits as well as recorded measurements of body mass index, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels.
As well as typically being poorer for fathers compared with those who had never been parents, it was worse for men who had become dads at 25 or younger – especially for Black and Hispanic men – and this group had higher death rates too. A range of factors could be playing into the.
