CHAMPION Fathers: Cardiovascular Health AssessMent and Primary Care CoordinatION for Fathers

About This Grant

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Cardiovascular health (CVH) is a global summary of health factors and behaviors that have been proven to influence the development of cardiovascular disease. Men’s CVH declines most rapidly from late adolescence through their 30s and during this time most men in the US become fathers. Although fatherhood is an opportunity to promote health among fathers, more than half of men do not have a primary care provider at the time of their child’s birth. It is unknown how fatherhood influences men’s CVH across a life course and if a CVH screening and primary care referral program for expectant fathers is feasible or acceptable. The major goal of this application is to use life course epidemiology, intervention science, and implementation science to develop CHAMPION Fathers (Cardiovascular Health AssessMent and Primary Care CoordinatION for Fathers), a CVH screening and primary care referral program for expectant fathers. The specific aims are to (1) Determine the association of the transition to fatherhood with CVH metrics among fathers in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study; (2) Develop CHAMPION Fathers using qualitative methods and best practice in intervention design; and (3) Pilot CHAMPION Fathers. This career development award will provide Dr. Parker the opportunity to develop as an independent investigator leading a novel father-tailored CVH promotion program. Through formal coursework, structured mentorship and experiential learning, Dr. Parker will build on his primary care clinical expertise and his foundation in health services research to achieve three short- term career goals: 1) develop expertise in life course epidemiology, 2) acquire expertise in designing and optimizing scalable interventions in partnership with key constituents, and 3) gain expertise in the fundamental principles of implementation science to create sustainable clinical and public health prevention programs. His training will take place at Lurie Children’s Hospital, Northwestern Medicine, and Northwestern University, premier research institutions with a strong history of research in cardiovascular health, fatherhood, and implementation research. Here, Dr. Parker will have robust support from the Division of General Pediatrics, Division of General Internal Medicine, the Department of Preventive Medicine, and the Department of Medical Social Sciences. Dr. Parker has assembled an unparalleled team of mentors, who are experts in CVH life course epidemiology (Dr. Norrina Allen), fathers and fathering (Dr. Craig Garfield) and implementation research (Dr. Rinad Beidas). Ultimately, completion of the research and career development goals will launch Dr. Parker’s transition to independence as a researcher and leader in the field of CVH promotion among fathers.