Abstract Body: Introduction: Promoting optimal cardiovascular health (CVH) earlier in life is essential for preventing future cardiovascular disease. The transition to fatherhood represents a major life stage for young adult men, characterized by biological, psychological, and social changes that may influence cardiovascular health behaviors and risk factors. Identifying and characterizing CVH profiles of first-time fathers provides a foundation for targeted lifestyle and behavioral interventions that may improve not only paternal health but also family well-being. This study characterized baseline CVH, as assessed by the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), among first-time fathers during their partner’s pregnancy.
Methods: The Dad Bod Study is a prospective, longitudinal cohort of first-time fathers aged 19–39 years. Participants completed baseline assessments remotely during their partner’s second trimester. Metrics for the AHA LE8, including diet quality (Healthy Eating Index 2020), physical activity (International Physical Activity Questionnaire), nicotine exposure, sleep duration (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), body mass index, blood lipids and fasting glucose (via dried blood spot), and blood pressure, were collected and scored using standardized AHA algorithms.
Results: Among 117 participants, mean age was 32.2 years (SD=4.5). The sample was predominantly White (82.9%), married (93.2%), employed for wages (94.0%), and high-income, with 67.5% reporting annual household income ≥$150,000. The mean LE8 score indicated good overall cardiovascular health (M=81.6, SD=11.8, range=43.1-100.0). Individual LE8 components revealed excellent scores for were highest for nicotine exposure (M=95.7, SD=12.4), sleep (M=90.8, SD=16.4), and fasting glucose (M=90.2, SD=18.7), while diet showed the lowest mean score (M=60.7, SD=26.1).
Conclusion: Findings highlight generally favorable cardiovascular health among expectant first-time fathers, though diet quality emerged as a key area for improvement. The prenatal period may represent an opportune window to engage fathers in lifestyle interventions that promote heart-healthy behaviors. The Dad Bod Study will further examine how psychosocial and behavioral factors influence CVH and assess changes in LE8 scores through one year postpartum to better understand trajectories across the transition to fatherhood.