Professor Philip Morgan is an internationally renowned men’s and family health expert who has founded numerous multi-award-winning programs primarily focused on empowering dads as health behaviour leaders. Professor Morgan’s programs address alarming statistics regarding the health behaviours of both men and children and the severe underrepresentation of fathers in parenting, health, and community programs.
One of Professor Morgan’s flagship programs – Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids – has been culturally adapted for delivery to diverse communities around the world, including families in Germany, Hispanic families living in the US, multi-ethnic populations in the UK, and Indigenous fathers and their children living on Darkinjung country. The program has been shown to improve numerous health behaviours for the thousands of participants involved and their families.
Another one of Phil’s flagship programs, Daughters and Dads Active and Empowered, has been delivered to over 6,000 girls and their fathers/father-figures. The program improves family health, with a particular focus on girls’ physical activity and sports skills. Equipping fathers as gender-equity advocates and encouraging them about the vital role they play in their daughters’ lives leads to profound, long-term impacts.
The program’s facilitator training has been developed into a course integrated in University of Newcastle teaching degrees. Research shows this improves numerous teaching practices, particularly regarding gender equity. Partnerships with government and peak sporting bodies have led to the development of four sport-specific program versions.
By spreading gender equity messages through fathers/father-figures, girls, teachers, sporting organisations and government the program has had immense societal impact.
