Abstract:
The descriptive correlational research is designed to examine the relationship and predictability between selected factors, i.e. expectant fathers age, gestational age at time of perinatal loss, marital relationship, paternal fetal attachment, and coping strategies and expectant fathers grief response to perinatal loss. The Roy Adaptation Model was used to guide this research. The subjects were 100 expectant fathers whose wives had perinatal loss and admitted at high-risk ward, Ramathibodi Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand during August to December 2004. Five parts instrument included
that demographic data, Perinatal Grief Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Paternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, and Jalowiec Coping Scale. Alpha Cronbach s coefficiency reliability in 100 samples of Perinatal Grief Scale, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Paternal-Fetal Attachment Scale, and Jalowiec Coping Scale were .93, .93, .92, and .75 respectively. The data were analyzed by Pearsons product of moment coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. The study revealed that the subject had moderate expectant fathers grief response. The remainder were rather good; marital relationship; paternal fetal
attachment; and coping strategies. Paternal-fetal attachment was significantly low positive correlation with expectant fathers grief response to perinatal loss (r = .287, p < .01), and expectant father age (r = -.233, p< .05) were statistical significantly low negative correlation with expectant fathers grief response to perinatal loss. Paternal fetal attachment and expectant father age could explained 12.3% variance of expectant fathers grief response to perinatal loss. The results of this study clearly suggest that perinatal loss can, indeed, lead to expectant fathers grief. Thus, health care and nurse should be aware of factors influencing grief response that paternal fetal attachment, and younger father age.