Evaluating the impact of diverse essential newborn care training modalities for fathers on self-efficacy and father–infant attachment: A randomized clinical trial

Background: Low paternal self-efficacy in essential newborn care has been associated with reduced father involvement in caregiving and weaker father–infant attachment. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of essential newborn care training, delivered through different instructional methods, on paternal self-efficacy and father–infant attachment. Design: A prospective, three-arm randomized controlled trial with a pre-test–post-test design was conducted using a 1:1:1 allocation ratio. Participants: First-time fathers residing in [xxx Province] were recruited through the obstetrics and gynecology department during the early postnatal (neonatal) period and randomly assigned to one of three groups (n = 25 per group): web-based, face-to-face, or control. Methods: This randomized controlled trial included three groups: web-based, face-to-face, and control. Fathers in the intervention groups received essential newborn care training either via an online platform or through in-person sessions, while the control group received routine care. Data were collected at baseline and after the intervention using validated measurement tools assessing paternal self-efficacy and father–infant attachment. Descriptive statistics summarized the data: categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were expressed as means, standard deviations, and minimum–maximum values. Group homogeneity was evaluated using the Pearson chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables, and one-way ANOVA for continuous variables. The Shapiro–Wilk test assessed normality. Intergroup differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. Intragroup changes over time were assessed with repeated measures one-way ANOVA. A two-way repeated measures ANOVA assessed the interaction effects of group and time. Results: The mean age of the fathers ranged from 30.45 ± 4.80 to 32.04 ± 5.02 years across the groups, with no significant difference between groups (p > 0.05). Data from 73 participants were included in the final analysis. Following the newborn care training, paternal self-efficacy, and father–infant attachment levels significantly increased in both the web-based (p < 0.05) and face-to-face (p < 0.05) intervention groups compared to the control group. Paternal self-efficacy levels in the web-based group were significantly higher than in both the face-to-face and control groups. Conclusion: Web-based newborn care education programs appear to be effective in increasing paternal self-efficacy and father-infant bonding. © 2026 Elsevier Ltd