As of 2024, paid paternity leave was available in 102 countries worldwide. However, the accessibility and methods of taking paternity leave are influenced by cultural background and individual values, leading to variations in uptake rate. Both positive and negative effects of paternity leave have been reported on the health of fathers, partners and children. A comprehensive understanding of this topic is essential for medical professionals supporting fathers undertaking childcare. The aim of this review is to identify and provide an overview of research related to the impact of paternity leave on the health of fathers, their partners and their children.

PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Ichushi-Web (Japan’s medical literature database) will be searched for published studies, and Google Scholar, ProQuest and CiNii Research (a database used to search for academic information in Japan) will be searched for grey literature. Screening will be performed by two independent reviewers. In this scoping review, we will include studies that focus on fathers taking paternity leave, their partners and their children, regardless of ethnicity or geographic location. This review will focus only on studies related to effects within 3 years after childbirth. We will not restrict study inclusion by whether paternity leave is paid or unpaid, the length of the leave or whether it was taken solely by the father. Furthermore, we will include both English and Japanese literature. The findings of this scoping review will be presented in tabular form and summarised in a way that aligns with the review questions.

This paper does not involve human participants, so approval by an ethics committee is not required. The results of this scoping review will be presented in academic conferences and disseminated in peer-reviewed journals.

https://osf.io/jsc89.