Another Baby? Father Involvement and Childbearing in Fragile Families

PubMed Central

Kotila, Letitia E.; Dush, Claire M. Kamp

2013-01-01

An historic number of women in the US have children outside of marriage, and with more than one father, yet little research has examined the association between family process and women’s childbearing decisions. Using a subsample of unmarried women from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N=2028), a study of primarily low-income unmarried parents, we conducted discrete-time survival analysis models to predict whether women had another child with the focal child’s father (same-father birth) or with a new father (new-father birth). Father involvement was measured by engagement, indirect care, accessibility, and financial support. Overall, mothers who reported greater engagement and indirect care from the focal child’s father were more likely to have a same-father birth even when he was not living in her home, and were also less likely to have a new-father birth. Further, mothers who reported greater accessibility and stable financial support from the focal child’s nonresident father were also less likely to have a new-father birth. One pathway through which this may have occurred was that single mothers who perceived less indirect care and accessibility from the focal child’s nonresident father were more likely to begin new romantic relationships. Indeed, whether or not the mother had a new romantic partner partially mediated the association between indirect care and a same-father birth, and fully mediated the association between accessibility and a new-father birth, suggesting that one pathway linking father involvement to a new-father birth was through maternal repartnering. Clinical and policy implications are discussed. PMID:23244460

Forward progress of scientific inquiry into the early father-child relationship: introduction to the special issue on very young children and their fathers.

PubMed

Bocknek, Erika L; Hossain, Ziarat; Roggman, Lori

2014-01-01

Research on fathering and the father-child relationship has made substantial progress in the most recent 15 years since the last special issue of the Infant Mental Health Journal on fathers and young children. This special issue on fathers and young children contains a series of papers exemplifying this progress, including advances in methodology-more direct assessment and more observational measures-in addition to the increasing dynamic complexity of the conceptual models used to study fathers, the diversity of fathers studied, and the growth of programs to support early father involvement. In assessing the current state of the field, special attention is given to contributions made by the papers contained in this special issue, and two critical areas for continued progress are addressed: (1) methodological and measurement development that specifically address fathers and fathering relationships and (2) cross-cultural and ecologically valid research examining the diversity of models of fathering. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Father involvement, paternal sensitivity, and father-child attachment security in the first 3 years.

PubMed

Brown, Geoffrey L; Mangelsdorf, Sarah C; Neff, Cynthia

2012-06-01

To reach a greater understanding of the early father-child attachment relationship, this study examined concurrent and longitudinal associations among father involvement, paternal sensitivity, and father-child attachment security at 13 months and 3 years of age. Analyses revealed few associations among these variables at 13 months of age, but involvement and sensitivity independently predicted father-child attachment security at age 3. Moreover, sensitivity moderated the association between involvement and attachment security at 3 years. Specifically, involvement was unrelated to attachment security when fathers were highly sensitive, but positively related to attachment security when fathers were relatively less sensitive. Father involvement was also moderately stable across the two time points, but paternal sensitivity was not. Furthermore, there was significant stability in father-child attachment security from 13 months to 3 years. Secure attachment at 13 months also predicted greater levels of paternal sensitivity at 3 years, with sensitivity at age 3 mediating the association between 13 month and 3 year attachment security. In sum, a secure father-child attachment relationship (a) was related to both quantity and quality of fathering behavior, (b) remained relatively stable across early childhood, and (c) predicted increased paternal sensitivity over time. These findings further our understanding of the correlates of early father-child attachment, and underscore the need to consider multiple domains of fathers' parenting and reciprocal relations between fathering behavior and father-child attachment security. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Mother Involvement as an Influence on Father Involvement with Early Adolescents

PubMed Central

Pleck, Joseph H.; Hofferth, Sandra L.

2009-01-01

This study hypothesized that father involvement is influenced by mothers' level of involvement as well as by marital conflict, mothers' work hours, and fathers' status as biological or step father. The analysis also tested hypotheses about mother involvement as a potential mediator of the effects of marital conflict and maternal work hours on father involvement, and hypotheses about factors influencing mother involvement. Children aged 10-14 from the NLSY79 who resided with their biological or step father and with their mother reported on each parent's involvement with them. As hypothesized, father involvement was predicted by mother involvement, and the reciprocal influence was not significant. Father involvement was associated with low marital conflict and being a biological father. Mothers' involvement partially mediated the effects of marital conflict on father involvement. If the mediating role of maternal involvement is not taken into account, the effect of marital conflict on father involvement is overestimated. PMID:21776195

Father Involvement, Paternal Sensitivity, and Father-Child Attachment Security in the First Three Years

PubMed Central

Brown, Geoffrey L.; Mangelsdorf, Sarah C.; Neff, Cynthia

2014-01-01

To reach a greater understanding of the early father-child attachment relationship, this study examined concurrent and longitudinal associations among father involvement, paternal sensitivity, and father-child attachment security at 13 months and 3 years of age. Analyses revealed few associations among these variables at 13 months of age, but involvement and sensitivity independently predicted father-child attachment security at age 3. Moreover, sensitivity moderated the association between involvement and attachment security at 3 years. Specifically, involvement was unrelated to attachment security when fathers were highly sensitive, but positively related to attachment security when fathers were relatively less sensitive. Father involvement was also moderately stable across the two timepoints, but paternal sensitivity was not. Furthermore, there was significant stability in father-child attachment security from 13 months to 3 years. Secure attachment at 13 months also predicted greater levels of paternal sensitivity at 3 years, with sensitivity at age 3 mediating the association between 13 month and 3 year attachment security. In sum, a secure father-child attachment relationship a) was related to both quantity and quality of fathering behavior, b) remained relatively stable across early childhood, and c) predicted increased paternal sensitivity over time. These findings further our understanding of the correlates of early father-child attachment, and underscore the need to consider multiple domains of fathers’ parenting and reciprocal relations between fathering behavior and father-child attachment security. PMID:22468691

Fathering and Attachment in the USA and Taiwan: Contextual Predictors and Child Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newland, Lisa A.; Coyl, Diana D.; Chen, Hui-Hua

2010-01-01

This study examined connections between fathering context (stress, social support, and fathers' internal working models), fathering dimensions, children's attachment to fathers, and children's social-emotional and academic outcomes within two culturally diverse samples in the USA and Taiwan. Participants included 274 fathers and their eight- to…

Differences in sexual attitudes and likeliness of sexual behaviors of black lower-socioeconomic father-present vs. father-absent female adolescents.

PubMed

Eberhardt, C A; Schill, T

1984-01-01

This study compared sexual permissiveness attitudes and likely behaviors of father-absent vs. father-present black, lower-socioeconomic female adolescents. Father-absent subjects were not found to be more sexually permissive in reported likely behavior or attitude than father-present subjects. However, the father-absent group was found to have significantly greater inconsistency between behavioral and attitudinal scores in which the reported behavior was more permissive than the reported attitude. Finally, within the father-absent group, those subjects whose fathers became absent before they were five years old, were found to have a significantly higher need for social approval than subjects whose fathers became absent after they were five years old. The implications of these results are discussed.

Psychological functioning and predictors of father-infant relationship in IVF fathers and controls.

PubMed

Hjelmstedt, Anna; Collins, Aila

2008-03-01

The psychological functioning of fathers with children born after in vitro fertilization (IVF) has received little attention. Among men in general, little is known about predictors of early father-infant relationship (here also defined as attachment). The first aim was to compare IVF fathers and control fathers regarding personality traits, state anxiety, depressive symptoms and early father-infant attachment. The second aim was to assess whether early father-infant relationship is explained by the father's prenatal relationship with the unborn infant, his personality traits, state anxiety and symptoms of depression. Fifty-three IVF fathers and 36 controls filled in self-rating scales measuring father-infant attachment, personality, anxiety and symptoms of depression at 2 months postpartum. At gestational week 26 their prenatal relationship to the unborn infant was assessed. It was found that IVF fathers rated more somatic and psychic anxiety, indirect aggression and less assertiveness. They were as strongly attached to their infant as the controls. Fathers, who had rated higher attachment to their unborn infant during pregnancy, who were less anxious, more assertive and less irritable, were more attached to their infants than men who had been less attached to their unborn infants and who were more anxious, less assertive and more irritable. In conclusion, although IVF fathers are as strongly attached to their infants as other fathers, they may benefit from emotional support as they have elevated levels of anxiety proneness and indirect aggression. It is important to pay attention during pregnancy to fathers who have a less optimal attachment to their unborn infant and who have high levels of anxiety and irritability, as those three factors are related to a weak emotional father-infant relationship.

Family Economic Stress, Quality of Paternal Relationship, and Depressive Symptoms among African American Adolescent Fathers

PubMed Central

Hunt, Tenah K. A.; Caldwell, Cleopatra H.; Assari, Shervin

2015-01-01

This study examined the association between perceived family economic stress, quality of father-son relationships, and depressive symptoms among African American adolescent fathers. Data were collected during pregnancy from 65 African American adolescents who were first-time fathers, ages 14-19. Results from multiple regression analyses indicated that higher paternal relationship satisfaction was associated with fewer depressive symptoms among adolescent fathers. Additionally, depressive symptoms were higher among adolescent fathers who reported experiencing higher levels of conflict with their fathers. Further, paternal conflict moderated the effect of perceived family economic stress on depressive symptoms. That is, among adolescent fathers experiencing low levels of conflict with their fathers, high perceived family economic stress was associated with more depressive symptoms. Study findings suggest that the risk for depressive symptoms is highest among adolescent fathers experiencing low family economic stress and highly conflictual relations with their fathers. These results highlight the complexities of paternal relationships and perceived economic stressors on depressive symptoms during pregnancy for African American adolescent fathers. The importance of expanding research on influential familial relationships and economic stressors on adolescent African American fathers is discussed. PMID:26617454

Adult responses to child behavior and attitudes toward fathering: gay and nongay fathers.

PubMed

Bigner, J J; Jacobsen, R B

1992-01-01

This study examines gay and nongay fathers' responses to instruments measuring parenting style and orientation to the fathering role. Fifty-three respondents (24 gay and 29 nongay fathers) completed two surveys, and responses to each were analyzed. Both groups of fathers were found to have a developmental orientation toward their role as fathers, and no discernible parenting style could be found to distinguish one group from the other. Thus, gay and nongay fathers were found to be more similar than different with regard to parenting styles and attitudes toward fathering. This finding supports previous work (Bigner & Jacobsen, 1989a, 1989b) and expands the available knowledge based on the parenting styles of homosexual parents.

What do expectant fathers expect of antenatal care in Sweden? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Andersson, Ewa; Norman, Åse; Kanlinder, Camilla; Plantin, Lars

2016-10-01

In Sweden expectant fathers are now assumed to be active participants in pregnancy and birth, but few studies have focused on fathers' expectations of antenatal care. Knowledge of expectant fathers' views about what is important in antenatal care will enable the design of care that is more inclusive and meets the expectant fathers' needs. To identify expectant fathers' expectations regarding the content of antenatal care during pregnancy and to examine associations between expectations and social factors. The current study uses data from a quasi-experimental trial that took place from 2009 to 2010, in which 627 expectant fathers were recruited from different parts of Sweden. Checking the health of the baby (85.3%) and the mother (80.8%) were rated highest in importance by expectant fathers, whereas attending parent classes (14.9%), becoming acquainted with other expectant parents (7.0%) and paying attention to their own emotional well-being (6.9%) were rated lowest. Furthermore, less than half of the expectant fathers had a very high expectation of being treated in a way that made them feel involved (38.5%).First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations about most aspects of antenatal care. Expectant fathers had low expectations of receiving support or of meeting other parents as they thought that antenatal care should have a medical focus. First-time fathers, young fathers and fathers with very good emotional health had higher expectations of antenatal care in most areas. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of father-infant relationship on infant development: A father-involvement intervention in Vietnam.

PubMed

Rempel, Lynn A; Rempel, John K; Khuc, Toan Nang; Vui, Le Thi

2017-10-01

We examined the extent to which fathers can be taught and encouraged to develop positive relationships with their children, especially in infancy, and the effects of this fathering intervention on infant development. A multifaceted relationally focused intervention was used to assist fathers in Vietnam to engage in responsive direct and indirect involvement with their infants and work together with the mother as part of a parenting team. Fathers and mothers from 13 communes in a rural and semiurban district were recruited to the intervention group. Intervention fathers received group and individual counseling before and after birth, an interactive print resource, community messages about fathering, and the opportunity to participate in a Fathers Club. Couples from 12 comparable communes in a noncontiguous district were recruited to the control group. Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires at the prebirth recruitment and at 1-, 4-, and 9-months postbirth. Intervention fathers demonstrated greater increase in knowledge and attitudes regarding father-infant relationships. Both fathers and mothers reported that fathers engaged in more affection, care-taking, and play in the early months of their infants' lives and fathers felt more attached to their infants right from birth. A developmental assessment at 9 months showed that intervention infants demonstrated higher levels of motor, language, and personal/social development. This study demonstrated that fathers can be taught to interact more sensitively, responsively, and effectively with their newborn infants. Their increased interaction and emotional attachment appears to lay the foundation for enhanced infant development. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Identifying, Interviewing, and Intervening: Fathers and the Illinois Child Welfare System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smithgall, Cheryl; DeCoursey, Jan; Gitlow, Elissa; Yang, Duck-Hye; Jarpe-Ratner, Elizabeth; Lansing, Jiffy; Goerge, Robert

2009-01-01

Launched in 2005, the Illinois Integrated Assessment (IA) process is designed to provide better information about child and family strengths, support systems, and service needs. In this study, we examine the extent to which fathers--stepfathers, putative fathers, legal fathers, adoptive fathers, or biological fathers--were interviewed as a part of…

Work Characteristics and Fathers' Vocabulary to Infants in African American Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pancsofar, Nadya; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne; Odom, Erika C.

2013-01-01

Fathers' vocabulary to infants has been linked in the literature to early child language development, however, little is known about the variability in fathers' language behavior. This study considered associations between fathers' work characteristics and fathers' vocabulary among a sample of employed African American fathers of 6-month-old…

From Fathers to Sons: The Intergenerational Transmission of Parenting Behavior among African American Young Men.

PubMed

Brown, Geoffrey L; Kogan, Steven M; Kim, Jihyoung

2018-03-01

This study examined the intergenerational transmission of fathering among young, African American fathers in rural communities. A sample of 132 African American young men living in the rural South reported on the quality of their relationship with their biological and social fathers in the family of origin, their own involvement with their young children, and relational schemas of close, intimate relationships. Results of path analyses supported the hypothesized mediational model, such that a better relationship with one's biological (but not social) father predicted increased father involvement in the next generation, and this association was partially mediated through positive relational schema after controlling for a range of covariates. Tests of moderated mediation indicated that the link between relational schema and father involvement was significantly stronger among fathers of girls than fathers of boys. Findings highlight the unique influence of close, nurturing father-child relationships for downstream father involvement, and the role of relational schemas as a mechanism for intergenerational transmission among young, rural, African American fathers of girls. © 2016 Family Process Institute.

Parenting of divorced fathers and the association with children's self-esteem.

PubMed

Bastaits, Kim; Ponnet, Koen; Mortelmans, Dimitri

2012-12-01

Research suggests that high parental support and control improves children's well-being. However, a large part of these studies have focused on the parenting of married parents. Research on parenting after a divorce, mainly has focused on parenting of divorced mothers, with few exceptions concentrating primarily on non-residential fathers. Therefore, we compared both parenting dimensions support and control of fathers in different family structures (non-residential fathers, fathers in joint custody and married fathers). We also investigated the association between fathers' parenting dimensions and children's self-esteem, controlled for the parenting dimensions of the mother. Data from 587 children (50 % girls) between 10 and 18 years old and their parents were examined. Results revealed that non-residential fathers (n = 225) were less supportive and controlling than fathers in joint custody (n = 138) and married fathers (n = 224). Nevertheless, having a supportive father was beneficial to children's self-esteem in each family structure. We conclude that, even after a divorce, fathers have the capacity to enhance children's self-esteem and we suggest that future research should investigate this capacity.

Factors associated with fathers' caregiving activities and sensitivity with young children. NICHD Early Child Care Research Network.

PubMed

2000-06-01

A multifactorial model was used to identify child, sociodemographic, paternal, and maternal characteristics associated with 2 aspects of fathers' parenting. Fathers were interviewed about their caregiving responsibilities at 6, 15, 24, and 36 months, and a subset was videotaped during father-child play at 6 and 36 months. Caregiving activities and sensitivity during play interactions were predicted by different factors. Fathers were more involved in caregiving when fathers worked fewer hours and mothers worked more hours, when fathers and mothers were younger, when fathers had more positive personalities, when mothers reported greater marital intimacy, and when children were boys. Fathers who had less traditional child-rearing beliefs, were older, and reported more marital intimacy were more sensitive during play. These findings are consistent with a multifactorial and multidimensional view of fathering.

THE QUALITY OF FATHER-CHILD ROUGH-AND-TUMBLE PLAY AND TODDLERS' AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR IN CHINA.

PubMed

Anderson, Sheila; Qiu, Wei; Wheeler, Shanalyn J

2017-11-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the influence of the quality of early father-child rough-and-tumble play (RTP) on toddler aggressive behaviors and more fully understand how child, mother, and father characteristics were associated with higher quality father-child RTP among contemporary urban Chinese families. Participants included 42 families in Changsha, China. Play observations of fathers and their children were coded for RTP quality. The specific RTP quality of father-child reciprocity of dominance was associated with fewer toddler aggressive behaviors, as rated by both fathers and mothers. Mothers' democratic parenting attitudes were associated with higher quality father-child RTP. These findings suggest that higher quality father-child RTP may be one way in which some fathers influence children's expression of aggressive behaviors, and the quality of father-child RTP may be influenced by the broader family, social, and cultural contexts. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Social mobility in the context of fathering: the intergenerational link in parenting among co-resident fathers.

PubMed

Diaz, Christina J

2014-09-01

Intergenerational transmissions extend across a number of family-related behaviors, including marriage timing, fertility, and divorce. Surprisingly, few studies investigate the link between the fathering men experience and the fathering they ultimately engage in. I use data on the grandfathers and fathers of the 2001 U.S. birth cohort - measured in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study (N=4050) - to test whether men's perception of the parenting they received influences their subsequent paternal self-assessments and behaviors. I find a nonlinear association between experiencing warm fathering and men's self-assessed parenting quality and stress. Men with particularly warm fathers are more likely to report being good fathers themselves. Those who report having the harshest fathers also exhibit better paternal self-perceptions and lower stress. Perceptions of paternal warmth show similar associations with men's fathering engagement. This research sheds light on the significance of family dynamics and how a legacy of fathering may contribute to inequality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fathers' and Mothers' Performances in Father-Mother-Baby Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frascarolo, France; Favez, Nicolas; Fivaz-Depeursinge, Elisabeth

2003-01-01

Until now studies comparing fathers and mothers have mostly been realized in dyadic situations, father-infant versus mother-infant. The aim of the present paper was to bring to the core similarities and differences, between fathers and mothers, in terms of performance (N = 42 families) in a triadic context. Father, mother and baby, seated in a…

How Urban Fathers Represent the Transition to Fathering: A Discourse Analysis of Fathering Narratives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gadsden, Vivian; Wortham, Stanton; Wojcik, Teresa

Noting that researchers rarely ask urban fathers about their perspectives and choices regarding fatherhood, this pilot study examined the experiences of urban fathers, focusing on their views of the challenges of fatherhood and how they accounted for both their irresponsible and their promising fathering behaviors; the study's larger goal will be…

Fathers' Frightening Behaviours and Sensitivity with Infants: Relations with Fathers' Attachment Representations, Father-Infant Attachment, and Children's Later Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazen, Nancy L.; McFarland, Laura; Jacobvitz, Deborah; Boyd-Soisson, Erin

2010-01-01

This longitudinal study of 125 families investigated whether negative child outcomes related to fathers' frightening (FR) behaviours with infants would be mitigated if fathers were also sensitive. Results indicated that children whose fathers were frightening and insensitive with them during infancy showed the highest emotional under-regulation at…

Predictors of father-son communication about sexuality.

PubMed

Lehr, Sally T; Demi, Alice S; Dilorio, Colleen; Facteau, Jeffrey

2005-05-01

Examining the factors that influence adolescents' sexual behaviors is crucial for understanding why they often engage in risky sexual behaviors. Using social cognitive theory, we examined predictors of father-son communication about sexuality. Fathers (N=155) of adolescent sons completed a survey measuring 12 variables, including self-efficacy and outcome expectations. We found that (a) son's pubertal development, father's sex-based values, father's education; father's communication with his father, outcome expectations, and general communication accounted for 36% of the variance in information sharing communication and (b) son's pubertal development, outcome expectations, general communication, and father-son contact accounted for 20% of the variance in values sharing communication. Study findings can aid professionals in designing guidelines for programs to promote father-son general communication and sex-based communication.

Does Cosleeping Contribute to Lower Testosterone Levels in Fathers? Evidence from the Philippines

PubMed Central

Gettler, Lee T.; McKenna, James J.; McDade, Thomas W.; Agustin, Sonny S.; Kuzawa, Christopher W.

2012-01-01

Because cross-species evidence suggests that high testosterone (T) may interfere with paternal investment, the relationships between men's transition to parenting and changes in their T are of growing interest. Studies of human males suggest that fathers who provide childcare often have lower T than uninvolved fathers, but no studies to date have evaluated how nighttime sleep proximity between fathers and their offspring may affect T. Using data collected in 2005 and 2009 from a sample of men (n = 362; age 26.0 ± 0.3 years in 2009) residing in metropolitan Cebu, Philippines, we evaluated fathers' T based on whether they slept on the same surface as their children (same surface cosleepers), slept on a different surface but in the same room (roomsharers), or slept separately from their children (solitary sleepers). A large majority (92%) of fathers in this sample reported practicing same surface cosleeping. Compared to fathers who slept solitarily, same surface cosleeping fathers had significantly lower evening (PM) T and also showed a greater diurnal decline in T from waking to evening (both p<0.05). Among men who were not fathers at baseline (2005), fathers who were cosleepers at follow-up (2009) experienced a significantly greater longitudinal decline in PM T over the 4.5-year study period (p<0.01) compared to solitary sleeping fathers. Among these same men, baseline T did not predict fathers' sleeping arrangements at follow-up (p>0.2). These results are consistent with previous findings indicating that daytime father-child interaction contributes to lower T among fathers. Our findings specifically suggest that close sleep proximity between fathers and their offspring results in greater longitudinal decreases in T as men transition to fatherhood and lower PM T overall compared to solitary sleeping fathers. PMID:22957016

Hispanic Immigrant Father Involvement with Young Children in the United States: A Comparison with US-Born Hispanic and White non-Hispanic Fathers.

PubMed

Guendelman, Sylvia; Nussbaum, Juliet; Soliday, Ann; Lahiff, Maureen

2018-02-14

Objectives Fathering is known to foster child development and health, yet evidence on Hispanic immigrant fathers' involvement with their young children is sparse. This study assessed disparities in pregnancy intendedness and father involvement with children ages 0-4 among Hispanic immigrant co-resident fathers versus two reference groups: US-born Hispanic and US-born White fathers. We hypothesized that differentials in involvement were associated with socioeconomic and cultural factors. Methods Using 2011-2013 data from the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 598), we performed bivariate, logistic and linear regression analyses to assess disparities in pregnancy intendedness and five father involvement outcomes (physical care, warmth, outings, reading and discipline). The models controlled for socio-economic, structural, health and cultural covariates. Results Pregnancy intendedness did not differ significantly between Hispanic immigrant fathers and the two reference groups. Compared with US-born Hispanics, unadjusted models showed that immigrant fathers were less likely to engage in physical care, warmth and reading, (p ≤ 0.05) though the differences were attenuated when controlling for covariates. Hispanic immigrant fathers were less likely than US-born White fathers to engage in each of the father involvement outcomes (p ≤ 0.05), with the disparity in reading to their child persisting even after controlling for all covariates. Conclusions for Practice We found marked socio-economic and cultural differences between Hispanic immigrant and US-born Hispanic and White fathers which contribute to disparities in father involvement with their young children. Hispanic immigrant status is an important determinant of involved fathering and should be taken into account when planning public health policies and programs.

An actor-partner interdependence analysis of associations between affect and parenting behavior among couples.

PubMed

Murdock, Kyle W; Lovejoy, M Christine; Oddi, Kate B

2014-03-01

Prior studies evaluating associations between parental affect and parenting behavior have typically focused on either mothers or fathers despite evidence suggesting that affect and parenting behavior may be interdependent among couples. This study addressed this gap in the literature by evaluating associations between self-reported affect and parenting behavior using an actor-partner interdependence analysis among a sample of 53 mother-father dyads of 3- to 5-year-old children. Results suggested that mothers' and fathers' negative affect, as well as mothers' and fathers' positive affect, were positively associated. Both mothers' and fathers' negative affect were negatively associated with fathers' positive affect. Mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior, and supportive/engaged parenting behavior, were positively associated. Furthermore, mothers' negative affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' harsh/negative parenting behavior while mothers' positive affect was negatively associated with mothers' harsh/negative behavior and positively associated with mothers' supportive/engaged behavior. Fathers' negative affect was positively associated with fathers' supportive/engaged parenting behavior, while fathers' positive affect was positively associated with mothers' and fathers' supportive/engaged behavior. Results highlight the importance of conceptualizing and measuring characteristics of both mothers and fathers, if applicable, when researching the dynamics of interpersonal relationships within families. © 2014 FPI, Inc.

Father involvement: Identifying and predicting family members' shared and unique perceptions.

PubMed

Dyer, W Justin; Day, Randal D; Harper, James M

2014-08-01

Father involvement research has typically not recognized that reports of involvement contain at least two components: 1 reflecting a view of father involvement that is broadly recognized in the family, and another reflecting each reporter's unique perceptions. Using a longitudinal sample of 302 families, this study provides a first examination of shared and unique views of father involvement (engagement and warmth) from the perspectives of fathers, children, and mothers. This study also identifies influences on these shared and unique perspectives. Father involvement reports were obtained when the child was 12 and 14 years old. Mother reports overlapped more with the shared view than father or child reports. This suggests the mother's view may be more in line with broadly recognized father involvement. Regarding antecedents, for fathers' unique view, a compensatory model partially explains results; that is, negative aspects of family life were positively associated with fathers' unique view. Children's unique view of engagement may partially reflect a sentiment override with father antisocial behaviors being predictive. Mothers' unique view of engagement was predicted by father and mother work hours and her unique view of warmth was predicted by depression and maternal gatekeeping. Taken, together finding suggests a far more nuanced view of father involvement should be considered.

Father enrollment and participation in a parenting intervention: personal and contextual predictors.

PubMed

Wong, Jessie J; Roubinov, Danielle S; Gonzales, Nancy A; Dumka, Larry E; Millsap, Roger E

2013-09-01

Fathers are an important, though often underrepresented, population in family interventions. Notably, the inclusion of ethnic minority fathers is particularly scarce. An understanding of factors that promote and hinder father participation may suggest strategies by which to increase fathers' presence in studies designed to engage the family unit. The current research examined Mexican origin (MO) fathers' involvement in a family-focused intervention study. Participants included 495 fathers from eligible two-parent MO families with an adolescent child. Individual, familial, and culturally relevant predictors based on father, mother, and/or child report data were collected through pretest interviews and included in two separate logistic regression analyses that predicted the following: (1) father enrollment in the study and (2) father participation in the intervention. Results indicated that higher levels of maternal education and lower levels of economic stress and interparental conflict were associated with increased father enrollment in the study. Rates of father participation in the intervention were higher among families characterized by lower levels of interparental conflict, economic stress, and Spanish language use. Results highlight the relevancy of the familial and environmental context to MO fathers' research participation decisions. These findings as well as their implications for future research and practice are discussed. © FPI, Inc.

Working at the Weekend: Fathers' Time with Family in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Hook, Jennifer L

2012-08-01

Whereas most resident fathers are able to spend more time with their children on weekends than on weekdays, many fathers work on the weekends spending less time with their children on these days. There are conflicting findings about whether fathers are able to make up for lost weekend time on weekdays. Using unique features of the United Kingdom's National Survey of Time Use 2000 (UKTUS) I examine the impact of fathers' weekend work on the time fathers spend with their children, family, and partners (N = 595 fathers). I find that weekend work is common among fathers and is associated with less time with children, families, and partners. Fathers do not recover lost time with children on weekdays, largely because weekend work is a symptom of overwork. Findings also reveal that even if fathers had compensatory time, they are unlikely to recover lost time spent as a family or couple.

Parenting behaviors of homosexual and heterosexual fathers.

PubMed

Bigner, J J; Jacobsen, R B

1989-01-01

Responses of 33 homosexual (gay) fathers were compared with those of 33 heterosexual (nongay) fathers on the Iowa Parent Behavior Inventory, an empirical measure of dimensions of parenting behavior. Gay fathers did not differ significantly from nongay fathers in their reported degree of involvement nor in intimacy level with children. Gay fathers tended to be more strict, more responsive to children's needs, and to provide reasons for appropriate behavior to children more consistently than nongay fathers. Several explanations are explored for these similarities and differences in parenting styles.

Father-Inclusive Perinatal Parent Education Programs: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Lee, Joyce Y; Knauer, Heather A; Lee, Shawna J; MacEachern, Mark P; Garfield, Craig F

2018-06-14

Fathers contribute to their children's health starting at the beginning of life. Few parent education programs include fathers. Among those that do, there is little effort to report program effects on father outcomes. In this systematic review, we examined father-inclusive perinatal parent education programs in the United States as they relate to a range of father outcomes. The databases searched were PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, Ovid Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and PsycINFO. Studies were included if they included an evaluation of a parent education program and a report of father outcomes measured within 1 year of the child's birth and were conducted within the United States. Of 1353 total articles, 21 met study criteria. The overall state of the father-inclusive perinatal parent education program literature was poor, with few interventions available to fathers. Available programs were associated with increased father involvement, coparenting relationship, partner relationship quality, father's mental health, and father's supportive behaviors. Program effects on father-infant interaction, parenting knowledge, and attitudes and parenting self-efficacy were inconclusive. Three programs emerged as best evidence-based interventions. Risk of bias was high for many studies. Outcome variability, small sample size, and publication bias contributed to the weak evidence base. There is a need for more evidence-based interventions to support fathers. Clinicians play a key role in engaging fathers in early parent education programs and health care settings. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017050099. Copyright © 2018 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Parenting Needs of Urban, African American Fathers.

PubMed

Smith, Tyler K; Tandon, S Darius; Bair-Merritt, Megan H; Hanson, Janice L

2015-07-01

Fathers play a critical role in children's development; similarly, fatherhood positively affects men's health. Among the larger population of fathers relatively little is known about the parenting knowledge of urban, African American fathers. Focusing on urban, African American fathers, the objectives of this study were to (1) understand the primary sources from which fathers learn about parenting, (2) determine where and how fathers prefer to receive future parenting education, and (3) explore the information perceived as most valuable to fathers and how this compares with the recommended anticipatory guidance (Bright Futures-based) delivered during well visits. Five focus groups, with a total of 21 participants, were conducted with urban fathers at a community-based organization. Study eligibility included being more than 18 years old, English speaking, and having at least one child 0 to 5 years old. During the focus groups, fathers were asked where they received parenting information, how and where they preferred to receive parenting information, and what they thought about Bright Futures parenting guidelines. Fathers most commonly described receiving parenting information from their own relatives rather than from their child's health care provider. Most fathers preferred to learn parenting from a person rather than a technology-based source and expressed interest in learning more about parenting at community-based locations. Although fathers viewed health care providers' role as primarily teaching about physical health, they valued Bright Futures anticipatory guidance about parenting. Fathers valued learning about child rearing, health, and development. Augmenting physician counseling about Bright Futures with community-based parenting education may be beneficial for fathers. © The Author(s) 2014.

A Handbook for the Father's Program: How to Organize a Program for Fathers and Their Handicapped Children. [Appendix B].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Donald J.; And Others

Based on the SEFAM (Supporting Extended Family Members) program, the manual is intended to help organize a program for fathers of handicapped young children. A program for fathers and infants focuses on unique father concerns and resources. The first chapter further explores reasons for father programs while the second describes program components…

Non-Custodial Gay Fathers: Considering the Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strader, Scott C.

This paper applies what is currently known about gay fathers to the more specific issues of the non-custodial gay father. Good parenting is not easy for any father, but being a successful gay father is even more difficult. Since the gay father is typically a non-custodial parent, he must deal with his grief about the loss of contact and quality…

Father Involvement and Young, Rural African American Men's Engagement in Substance Misuse and Multiple Sexual Partnerships.

PubMed

Barton, Allen W; Kogan, Steven M; Cho, Junhan; Brown, Geoffrey L

2015-12-01

This study was designed to examine the associations of biological father and social father involvement during childhood with African American young men's development and engagement in risk behaviors. With a sample of 505 young men living in the rural South of the United States, a dual mediation model was tested in which retrospective reports of involvement from biological fathers and social fathers were linked to young men's substance misuse and multiple sexual partnerships through men's relational schemas and future expectations. Results from structural equation modeling indicated that levels of involvement from biological fathers and social fathers predicted young men's relational schemas; only biological fathers' involvement predicted future expectations. In turn, future expectations predicted levels of substance misuse, and negative relational schemas predicted multiple sexual partnerships. Biological fathers' involvement evinced significant indirect associations with young men's substance misuse and multiple sexual partnerships through both schemas and expectations; social fathers' involvement exhibited an indirect association with multiple sexual partnerships through relational schemas. Findings highlight the unique influences of biological fathers and social fathers on multiple domains of African American young men's psychosocial development that subsequently render young men more or less likely to engage in risk behaviors.

Masculinities fathering and health: the experiences of African-Caribbean and white working class fathers.

PubMed

Williams, Robert Alan

2007-01-01

There is a developing body of research that investigates the links between masculinities and men's health experiences, but the links between masculinities and the health of fathers has been a neglected focus for research in the UK. This paper presents some of the findings drawn from a parent study which investigated African-Caribbean and white working class fathers' experiences of fathering, health and social connectedness. Data are drawn from interviews with 13 men (6 African-Caribbean and 7 White working class) living in a city in the West Midlands area of the UK. In this paper, I analyse and discuss African-Caribbean and white working class fathers' stories about the meaning of health, the influences upon their health, and their health practices. It was found that for the African-Caribbean fathers specifically, anticipated or perceived racist prejudice, abuse or discrimination influenced their health experiences. However, the meaning of health for both ethnic groups of fathers was as functional capacity, that is health was an asset that allowed fathers to meet the obligations of paid work and fathering. These obligations were also associated with a restricted sense of personal agency for the men interviewed, and the associated constraints were linked to transgressive consumption of alcohol, food and tobacco. In addition, fathers were also involved in solitary ways of dealing with their vulnerability, vulnerability that was associated with fathers' health concerns, and other difficult life experiences. Fathers' solitary experiences of vulnerability were also mediated by hegemonic forms of masculinity. Nevertheless, the experience of fathering within the lifecourse influenced men's health experiences: reflexivity and challenges to both transgressive consumption and solitary experiences were linked to fathers' perceived obligations to children. The significance of gender, ethnicity and social class for theory and future research with working class fathers and boys is identified, and the need for gender-sensitive public health and health promotion interventions regarding the 'work-family balance' and working class fathers' personal and social skills is also discussed.

Fathers' Roles in the Care and Development of Their Children: The Role of Pediatricians.

PubMed

Yogman, Michael; Garfield, Craig F

2016-07-01

Fathers' involvement in and influence on the health and development of their children have increased in a myriad of ways in the past 10 years and have been widely studied. The role of pediatricians in working with fathers has correspondingly increased in importance. This report reviews new studies of the epidemiology of father involvement, including nonresidential as well as residential fathers. The effects of father involvement on child outcomes are discussed within each phase of a child's development. Particular emphasis is placed on (1) fathers' involvement across childhood ages and (2) the influence of fathers' physical and mental health on their children. Implications and advice for all child health providers to encourage and support father involvement are outlined. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Testosterone and Jamaican Fathers : Exploring Links to Relationship Dynamics and Paternal Care.

PubMed

Gray, Peter B; Reece, Jody; Coore-Desai, Charlene; Dinall, Twana; Pellington, Sydonnie; Samms-Vaughan, Maureen

2017-06-01

This paper investigates relationships between men's testosterone and family life in a sample of approximately 350 Jamaican fathers of children 18-24 months of age. The study recognizes the role of testosterone as a proximate mechanism coordinating and reflecting male life history allocations within specific family and cultural contexts. A sample of Jamaican fathers and/or father figures reported to an assessment center for an interview based on a standardized questionnaire and provided a saliva sample for measuring testosterone level. Outcomes measured include subject demographics such as age and relationship status as well as partnership quality and sexuality and paternal attitudes and behavior. The variation in these fathers' relationship status (e.g., married co-residential fathers, fathers in new non-residential relationships) was not associated with men's testosterone. Too few stepfathers participated to enable a direct test of the prediction that stepfathers would have higher testosterone than biological fathers, although fathers who reported living with partners' (but not his own) children did not have higher testosterone than fathers not reporting residing with a non-biological child. Fathers' relationship quality was negatively related to their testosterone. Measures of paternal attitudes and behavior were not related to fathers' testosterone. Consistent with previous ethnography, this sample of Jamaican fathers exhibited variable life history profiles, including residential status. We discuss why fathers' relationship quality was found to be negatively related to their testosterone level, but other predictions were not upheld.

Recruiting Fathers to Parenting Programs: Advice from Dads and Fatherhood Program Providers

PubMed Central

Stahlschmidt, Mary Jo; Threlfall, Jennifer; Seay, Kristen D.; Lewis, Ericka M.; Kohl, Patricia L.

2014-01-01

The benefits of high-quality father-child relationships for fathers and children alike are well documented. While evidence suggests parenting programs can improve the quality of father-child relationships, few fathers participate in such programs. This qualitative study aims to fill the gap in knowledge on best practices for recruiting urban African American fathers, a group of fathers with unique parenting challenges, to parenting programs. Focus groups were conducted with 29 fathers to gain their perspectives on recruitment strategies. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a nationwide sample of 19 fatherhood program providers to learn about their most successful recruitment strategies. Recruitment strategies based on emergent themes from the focus groups and interviews are presented here. Themes included using word-of-mouth recruitment, increasing advertising, targeting advertising specifically to urban African American fathers, providing transportation and incentives, recruiting through the courts, collaborating with other community agencies, and offering parenting programming along with other programming valued by fathers such as employment assistance. Implications for developing strategies for recruiting urban African American fathers to parenting programs are discussed. PMID:24791035

Fathers and their children's health: a telephone interview study.

PubMed

Hallberg, A-C; Kristiansson, R; Beckman, A; Petersson, K; Råstam, L; Håkansson, A

2007-07-01

To study fathers' perception of, and involvement in, their children's health. Telephone interviews according to a structured guide. County of Skåne, Sweden. Answers regarding care and upbringing of child, child's health and ill health, and role of father. 237 fathers of small children. Fathers seem to be involved in their children to a large extent, both in caring and playing activities with their children. Most of them (82%) think that the child's health is good, and half of them (55%) have, at some time, contacted a doctor. The fathers mention security, love and commitment as important factors for being a good father, and almost all (97%) think that they are good fathers. Yet, only slightly more than half of them (54%) state that they have sufficient time for the child. Today, fathers are subject to quite different expectations to participate actively in their children's everyday life than was the case for previous generations. Therefore, more studies of fathers' involvement in their children are needed, as well as a new approach within the health care system to fathers' participation.

Recruiting Fathers to Parenting Programs: Advice from Dads and Fatherhood Program Providers.

PubMed

Stahlschmidt, Mary Jo; Threlfall, Jennifer; Seay, Kristen D; Lewis, Ericka M; Kohl, Patricia L

2013-10-01

The benefits of high-quality father-child relationships for fathers and children alike are well documented. While evidence suggests parenting programs can improve the quality of father-child relationships, few fathers participate in such programs. This qualitative study aims to fill the gap in knowledge on best practices for recruiting urban African American fathers, a group of fathers with unique parenting challenges, to parenting programs. Focus groups were conducted with 29 fathers to gain their perspectives on recruitment strategies. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with a nationwide sample of 19 fatherhood program providers to learn about their most successful recruitment strategies. Recruitment strategies based on emergent themes from the focus groups and interviews are presented here. Themes included using word-of-mouth recruitment, increasing advertising, targeting advertising specifically to urban African American fathers, providing transportation and incentives, recruiting through the courts, collaborating with other community agencies, and offering parenting programming along with other programming valued by fathers such as employment assistance. Implications for developing strategies for recruiting urban African American fathers to parenting programs are discussed.

Influences of maternal postpartum depression on fathers and on father-infant interaction.

PubMed

Goodman, Janice H

2008-11-01

Maternal postpartum depression (PPD) has been shown to negatively influence mother-infant interaction; however, little research has explored how fathers and father-infant interaction are affected when a mother is depressed. This study examined the influence of maternal PPD on fathers and identified maternal and paternal factors associated with father-infant interaction in families with depressed as compared with nondepressed mothers. A convenience sample of 128 mother-father-infant triads, approximately half of which included women with significant symptoms of PPD at screening, were recruited from a screening sample of 790 postpartum women. Mothers and fathers completed measures of depression, marital satisfaction, and parenting stress at 2 to 3 months' postpartum and were each videotaped interacting with their infants. Results indicate that maternal PPD is associated with increased paternal depression and higher paternal parenting stress. Partners of depressed women demonstrated less optimal interaction with their infants, indicating that fathers do not compensate for the negative effects of maternal depression on the child. Although mother-infant interaction did not influence father-infant interaction, how the mother felt about her relationship with the infant did, even more so than maternal depression. The links between maternal PPD, fathers, and father-infant interaction indicate a need for further understanding of the reciprocal influences between mothers, fathers, and infants. Copyright © 2008 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Where is the F in MCH? Father involvement in African American families.

PubMed

Lu, Michael C; Jones, Loretta; Bond, Melton J; Wright, Kynna; Pumpuang, Maiteeny; Maidenberg, Molly; Jones, Drew; Garfield, Craig; Rowley, Diane L

2010-01-01

To: 1) review the historical contexts and current profiles of father involvement in African American families; 2) identify barriers to, and supports of, involvement; 3) evaluate the effectiveness of father involvement programs; and 4) recommend directions for future research, programs, and public policies. Review of observational and interventional studies on father involvement. Several historical developments (slavery, declining employment for Black men and increasing workforce participation for Black women, and welfare policies that favored single mothers) led to father absence from African American families. Today, more than two thirds of Black infants are born to unmarried mothers. Even if unmarried fathers are actively involved initially, their involvement over time declines. We identified multiple barriers to, and supports of, father involvement at multiple levels. These levels include intrapersonal (eg, human capital, attitudes and beliefs about parenting), interpersonal (eg, the father's relationships with the mother and maternal grandmother), neighborhoods and communities (eg, high unemployment and incarceration rates), cultural or societal (eg, popular cultural perceptions of Black fathers as expendable and irresponsible, racial stratification and institutionalized racism), policy (eg, Earned Income Tax Credit, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, child support enforcement), and life-course factors (eg, father involvement by the father's father). We found strong evidence of success for several intervention programs (eg, Reducing the Risk, Teen Outreach Program, and Children's Aid Society - Carrera Program) designed to prevent formation of father-absent families, but less is known about the effectiveness of programs to encourage greater father involvement because of a lack of rigorous research design and evaluation for most programs. A multi-level, life-course approach is needed to strengthen the capacity of African American men to promote greater involvement in pregnancy and parenting as they become fathers.

Needs of fathers during labour and childbirth: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Eggermont, Katrijn; Beeckman, Dimitri; Van Hecke, Ann; Delbaere, Ilse; Verhaeghe, Sofie

2017-08-01

Fathers play an important role in the childbearing process, but are sometimes sidelined by midwives. The objectives were: identify fathers' needs during the labor and childbirth process; determine if their needs were met by midwives; and identify variables influencing these needs. The questionnaire was designed based on a systematic literature search and validated by a multistage consensus method. Data were collected during a cross-sectional study in two maternity wards in Belgium, where a medical-led model is used. Fathers present during natural childbirth were recruited via consecutive sampling. Based on multivariate analyses, fathers with a higher education level and multiparous fathers needed less information about the process of birth compared to less educated fathers (p<0.05; OR=4.08; 95% CI=1.02-16.31) or first-time fathers (p<0.001; OR=0.04; 95% CI=0.01-0.18). For multiparous fathers, a tour of the delivery room was less important than for primiparous fathers (p=0.005; OR=0.14; 95% CI=0.03-0.54). Married fathers needed less information on how to support their partners physically (p<0.005; OR=0.18; 95% CI=0.06-0.59) and emotionally (p=0.01; OR=0.24; 95% CI=0.08-0.72) compared to cohabiting fathers. Information needs are more important to fathers compared to needs focusing on the birth experience or their involvement. Socio-demographic variables like educational level, parity, and marital status were associated with fathers' needs. Midwives need to be aware of fathers' needs during the birth process and to fulfill these needs appropriately. Copyright © 2016 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study protocol for a randomized clinical trial of a fatherhood intervention for African American non-resident fathers: Can we improve father and child outcomes?

PubMed

Julion, Wrenetha A; Sumo, Jen'nea; Bounds, Dawn T; Breitenstein, Susan M; Schoeny, Michael; Gross, Deborah; Fogg, Louis

2016-07-01

African American (AA) fathers who live apart from their children face multiple obstacles to consistent and positive involvement with their children. Consequently, significant numbers of children are bereft of their father's positive involvement. Intervention research that is explicitly focused on promoting the positive involvement of non-resident AA fathers with their young children is limited. The purpose of this article is to describe the study protocol of a randomized trial (RCT) designed to test the Building Bridges to Fatherhood program against a financial literacy comparison condition; and discuss early implementation challenges. Fathers (n=180) are recruited to attend 10 group meetings, reimbursed for transportation, given dinner and activity vouchers for spending time with their child, and incentivized with a $40 gift card at each data collection time point. Mothers are incentivized ($40 gift card) at data collection and must be amenable to father child interaction. Intervention targets include father psychological well-being, parenting competence, communication, problem-solving ability; father-mother relationship quality; and child behavioral and emotional/social development. To date, 57 fathers have been randomized to study condition. Recruitment has been influenced by father and mother hesitancy and the logistics of reaching and maintaining contact with participants. Strategies to surmount challenges to father and mother recruitment and engagement have been developed. The prospective benefits of positive father involvement to children, fathers and families outweigh the challenges associated with community-based intervention research. The findings from this RCT can inform the body of knowledge on engaging AA non-resident fathers in culturally relevant fatherhood programming. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

'Paddling upstream': Fathers' involvement during pregnancy as described by expectant fathers and mothers.

PubMed

Widarsson, Margareta; Engström, Gabriella; Tydén, Tanja; Lundberg, Pranee; Hammar, Lena Marmstål

2015-04-01

To describe the perspectives of expectant mothers and fathers on fathers' involvement during pregnancy. Becoming a father is a major life event and paternal involvement during pregnancy has a positive influence on the family. However, research into both expectant mothers' and fathers' perspectives on fathers' involvement during pregnancy is relatively scarce. A descriptive qualitative study was used. Thirty expectant parents (20 women and 10 men) were interviewed either as part of one of four focus groups or in an individual interview. Qualitative content analysis was performed on the interview transcripts. A theme of 'Paddling upstream' emerged as an expression of the latent content of the interviews concerning perspectives on fathers' involvement. Five sub-themes described the manifest content: trying to participate, trying to be understanding, trying to learn, trying to be a calming influence and trying to find a balanced life. Expectant parents suggested several ways to improve fathers' involvement and to meet parents' need for shared involvement. Expectant mothers and fathers wanted the father to be more involved in the pregnancy. Although fathers attempted different strategies, they did not always perceive what was expected of them and encountered many barriers as they tried to navigate through this unique experience. The best support for the father was the mother. Expectant parents wanted their healthcare to include the father more thoroughly and to focus on the whole family. Prenatal care professionals can overcome barriers that prevent paternal involvement. Although fathers are not able to engage in the pregnancy on the same level as the mother, we suggest that their specific needs also be recognised through an increased awareness of gender norms in healthcare. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Involvement and Warmth of Fathers with Mental Illness: The Role of the Caregiving System, Parental Self-Efficacy, Social Support and Child Characteristics.

PubMed

Finzi-Dottan, Ricky; Dayan-Gazith, Efrat; Borosh, Tali; Golubchik, Pavel

2016-11-01

This study compares the levels and predictors of paternal warmth and involvement of 69 fathers with serious mental illness (SMI) and 69 matched non-clinical (NC) fathers in Israel. Findings show that the NC fathers were more involved with their children, whereas the SMI fathers reported more warmth and perceived their children as less difficult. The interactions that were found in the regression analyses highlight the differences between the two groups. Among the SMI fathers, but not the NC fathers, higher paternal self-efficacy was associated with increased father involvement, and lower family support was associated with decreased warmth.

"It's not just about MOMMAS": African-American non-resident fathers' views of paternal involvement.

PubMed

Julion, Wrenetha; Gross, Deborah; Barclay-McLaughlin, Gina; Fogg, Louis

2007-12-01

Many social and economic policies have been developed to increase fathers' involvement with their children. Yet, we know little about the meaning of involvement for African-American non-resident fathers. The purpose of this study was to obtain African-American non-resident fathers' perspectives on involvement and perceptions of their involvement. Seven focus groups were conducted with 69 fathers. Fathers' views of involvement were grouped into four major areas of importance, including sharing and caring, providing guidance, providing support, and serving in culturally specific roles. Fathers described many impediments to, and expressed dissatisfaction with, their level of involvement. The findings support the need for father-focused interventions.

Young Disadvantaged Men as Fathers

PubMed Central

Berger, Lawrence M.; Langton, Callie

2010-01-01

This article reviews the existing literature on young disadvantaged fathers’ involvement with children. It first outlines the predominant theoretical perspectives regarding father involvement among resident (married and cohabiting) biological fathers, resident social fathers (unrelated romantic partners of children’s mothers), and nonresident biological fathers. Second, it presents a brief discussion of the ways in which fathers contribute to childrearing. Third, it describes the socioeconomic characteristics of men who enter fatherhood at a young age, highlighting that they tend to be socioeconomically disadvantaged. Fourth, it reviews the empirical research on both antecedents of father involvement and patterns of involvement across father types. Finally, it describes the limitations of existing research and provides suggestions for future research and policy. PMID:21643452

Separation from children as a specific risk factor to fathers' health and lifestyles.

PubMed

Grill, E; Weitkunat, R; Crispin, A

2001-01-01

The study was to examine whether fathers living apart from their children following divorce or separation ("fathers without children") differ in their health-related lifestyles and attitudes, and in their health status, from fathers in intact family settings ("fathers with children"). Data was acquired by means of a self-administered questionnaire within an exploratory cross-sectional survey. Fathers without children differed in their lifestyle patterns, parameters of satisfaction, health, and health related orientations from fathers with children. Negative lifestyles could be observed in fathers who had a low income and saw their children only rarely. Separation from their children is a major life crisis for fathers. Subgroups could be identified who had significant health risks. Due to study design, conclusions on causation are not possible. Longitudinal studies are necessary to yield more detailed impact for prevention.

The effect of fathers or father figures on child behavioral problems in families referred to child protective services.

PubMed

Marshall, D B; English, D J; Stewart, A J

2001-11-01

This study examines some possible effects of the presence and quality of parent-child interaction of fathers and father figures on the behavior of young children in a sample of families reported to child protective services. Whereas the presence or absence of a father or father figure seemed to make little difference in child behavioral problems at age 4, lower levels of aggression and depression were observed for children by age 6 if an adult male in some form of father-like relationship was present in the child's life. When controlling for mother's ethnicity, child's gender, the number of referrals to child protective services, and the presence of domestic violence, the direct effect of a father/father figure was no longer significant but remained in the multivariate models as a significant interaction term.

Determinants of father involvement with young children: Evidence from the ECLS-B

PubMed Central

Planalp, Elizabeth M.; Braungart-Rieker, Julia M.

2015-01-01

The current study used data from the ECLS-B to explore determinants of resident father involvement. Families (N=2900) were measured at three time points (9-months, 2 years, and 4 years of age). Father, mother, and child factors were examined in relation to father caregiving and play. Latent change score models indicated that fathers engaged in more caregiving and play behaviors and increased at a faster rate when they more strongly identified with their role as a father. Fathers engaged in more caregiving when mothers reported higher depressive symptoms and increased in play more slowly when marital conflict was higher. In addition, a mother depressive symptoms X marital conflict interaction emerged indicating that fathers differed in their levels of caregiving depending on mothers’ report of depressive symptoms but only when marital conflict was low. Fathers also increased in caregiving at a faster rate with girls than boys. A comprehensive framework for examining resident father involvement is presented. PMID:26437143

Multifamily Therapy for Children With ADHD in Hong Kong: The Different Impacts on Fathers and Mothers.

PubMed

Lai, Kelly Y C; Ma, Joyce L C; Xia, Lily L L

2018-02-01

Medication combined with psychosocial intervention is the recommended treatment for ADHD. What is not clear is which of the parents participate in psychosocial interventions, and whether the impacts are different for fathers and mothers. This is important because of the different roles fathers and mothers have in shaping their child's development. This article examines the impact of multifamily therapy on a sample of fathers and mothers from Hong Kong whose children suffer from ADHD. Fathers and mothers ratings on ADHD severity, parent-child relationship, parenthood stress, and parental self-esteem were compared between those who attended multifamily therapy and those who attended psychoeducation talks. Fathers and mothers of the multifamily group, but not the psychoeducational group, reported reduction of child ADHD symptom severity. When the reduction was clinically significant, mothers reported an increased sense of competence while fathers reported improved father-child relationship. Fathers and mothers experienced different gains from attending MFT. Fathers' involvement in their child's treatment should be encouraged and facilitated.

Is infant feeding pattern associated with father's quality of life?

PubMed

Chen, Yi Chun; Chie, Wei-Chu; Chang, Pei-Jen; Chuang, Chao-Hua; Lin, Yu-Hsuan; Lin, Shio-Jean; Chen, Pau-Chung

2010-12-01

The aim of this study was to compare the health-related quality of life of fathers under different infant feeding type scenarios. The Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short-Form was used to measure the health-related quality of life of 1,699 fathers, and the scores were used to look for associations with different infant feeding methods. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to explore the contribution of the other potential related factors on fathers' quality of life. After controlling for confounding factors, fathers whose infants were ever being breast-fed reported lower scores than fathers whose infants were bottle-fed. Except for the infant feeding pattern, having a job, higher family income, and being the major caregiver were positively related to the father's quality of life. Fathers may not benefit during breast-feeding process. Because fathers' involvement plays an important role in the success of breast-feeding, the development of interventions that enable fathers to support their breast-feeding partner is very important.

[Association of family dynamic structure and parental rearing style with male larcenists].

PubMed

Zheng, Yu; Liu, Xie-he

2010-11-01

To explore the association of parental rearing style and family dynamic structure with male larcenists. A questionnaire survey was undertaken in 280 male imprisoned larcenists and 420 healthy controls with a General Information Questionnaire and EMBU (Egna Minnen Beträlffande Uppfostran). Statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the following items: 'only child in the family', 'not lived with father before age 5', 'father died', 'mother died', 'both parents died', 'parents divorced', 'lived with father only (mother absence) before age 5', 'adult with father alive (mother died)' and 'adult with mother alive (father died)'. The two groups also experienced significant differences in 'emotional warmth', 'severe punishment', 'over-intervention from both parents', 'favored child from mother', 'father rejection' and 'father over-protection'. Men with single father (mother absence) before age 5 and those who have experienced death of any parents, 'emotional warmth', 'severe punishment', 'over-intervention from both parents', 'favored child from mother', 'father rejection' and 'father over-protection' are more likely to commit theft crime.

You can't put a dollar amount on presence: young, non-resident, low-income, African American fathers.

PubMed

Fleck, Margaret Ofe; Hudson, Diane Brage; Abbott, Douglas A; Reisbig, Allison M

2013-09-01

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of young, non-resident, low-income, African-American fathers. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 6 men enrolled in the Omaha Healthy Start, Fathers for a Lifetime Program. The following themes were identified: (a) A Work in Progress: Fatherhood Investment; (b) A Little Island by Myself: Barriers to Fathering; (c) I'm Going to be There From Day One to Infinity: Presence; and (d) The Tomorrow Dad: Not Like my Dad. Barriers to fathering created resource-poor environments posing challenges to involvement. Dispelling the myth of the "hit-and-run" father or the "package deal" remains a concern for fathers and their children. Nurses can develop early assessment strategies and interventions to help African American fathers with their parenting involvement. Fathers can be encouraged to attend community-based fathering programs to increase investment opportunities.

Moderating Effect of Residential History on the Effects of a Fatherhood Program on Parenting Skills Satisfaction among Nonresident African American Fathers.

PubMed

Qian, Yiqing; De Loney, E Hill; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard

2018-02-09

Nonresident African American (AA) fathers sometimes face challenges to achieving satisfaction with their parenting skills, which may inhibit their motivations for parenting. Studies have found that residential history of fathers is associated with parental involvement; however, current fatherhood programs rarely consider the influence of different residential history on fathering. In the current study, we examined whether nonresident AA fathers' residential history with their sons moderated their parenting skills satisfaction after participating in the Fathers and Sons Program. Our results indicated that after controlling for fathers' pretest parenting skills satisfaction, age, education, marital status, employment, and ever lived with their son's mother; there was a moderating effect of residential history on the intervention's effects on posttest parenting skills satisfaction. The regression analyses showed that fathers in the intervention group who had lived with their son increased their parenting skills satisfaction more at posttest compared with fathers who had never lived with their sons. However, fathers in the comparison group who had lived with their sons had lower posttest parenting skills satisfaction. Future fatherhood programs for nonresident AA fathers should develop more nuanced group-specific interventions that consider residential history as a critical factor to enhance their parenting skills satisfaction as a strategy for improving father involvement.

RELATIONS BETWEEN COPARENTING AND FATHER INVOLVEMENT IN FAMILIES WITH PRESCHOOL AGED CHILDREN

PubMed Central

Jia, Rongfang; Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.

2012-01-01

One-hundred twelve primarily European American and middle-class two-parent families with resident fathers and a 4-year-old child (48% girls) participated in a longitudinal study of associations between coparenting and father involvement. At the initial assessment and one year later, fathers reported on their involvement in play and caregiving activities with the focal child, and coparenting behavior was observed during triadic family interactions. SEM was used to test cross-lagged associations between coparenting behavior and father involvement. Overall, paths from father involvement to coparenting behavior were significant, but paths from coparenting behavior to father involvement were not. Specifically, greater father involvement in play was associated with an increase in supportive and a decrease in undermining coparenting behavior over time. In contrast, greater father involvement in caregiving was associated with a decrease in supportive and an increase in undermining coparenting behavior. Multi-group analysis further showed that these cross-lagged relations did not differ for dual earner families and single (father) earner families, but these relations appeared to differ for families with focal daughters and families with focal sons. These findings highlight the potential for fathering to affect coparenting and the importance of considering the role of contextual factors in coparenting-fathering relations. PMID:21244153

Fathering and adolescents' psychological adjustment: the role of fathers' involvement, residence and biology status.

PubMed

Flouri, E

2008-03-01

Studies on fathering and child mental health are now increasingly looking for specificity in children's psychological adjustment, indicating whether the impact of fathering is diagnostically specific or non-specific. Data from 435 fathers of secondary school-aged children in Britain were used to explore the association between resident biological fathers', non-resident biological fathers' and stepfathers' involvement and children's total difficulties, prosocial behaviour, emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity and peer problems (all measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) in adolescence. After controlling for child-, father- and family-related factors, fathers' involvement was negatively associated with children's total difficulties and hyperactivity, was positively associated with children's prosocial behaviour, and was unrelated with children's emotional symptoms, conduct problems and peer problems. There was no non-resident biological father effect. Compared with resident biological fathers, stepfathers reported more total difficulties, conduct problems and hyperactivity in their children even after adjusting for involvement. Whether this reflects stepfathers' low tolerance levels or biological fathers' complacency, as sociobiologists would argue, or whether this is due to pre-existing predispositions of children in families which separate and restructure, to the effects of these multiple family changes or to the high exposure of children in restructured families to parental risk factors, is, given the data available and the study design, unclear. However, this study showed that, compared with their peers in biological father families, adolescents in stepfather families are perceived to be at higher risk of behaviour problems, and that father involvement is related to specific aspects of child adjustment.

Fathers: A Placement Resource for Abused and Neglected Children?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greif, Geoffrey L.; Zuravin, Susan J.

1989-01-01

Investigated 17 custodial and 18 noncustodial fathers of abused or neglected children to determine: (1) how fathers get custody; (2) how situations in which fathers get custody differ from those in which they do not; and (3) the degree to which father placements are satisfactory. (SAK)

Father Absence in Infancy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Frank A.; And Others

This document reports a study investigating the effects of father absence on measures of cognitive, social, and motivational development in infancy. The sample included 54 black infants, 27 of whom were classified "father-absent." This classification was based on two indices, (1) a dichotomy of father-absent or father-present based on…

Self-Concept and Anxiety of Adolescent and Adult Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Bryan E.; Barret, Robert L.

1987-01-01

Examined relationship between age of unmarried fathers and their self-concept and anxiety level. Twelve unmarried adolescent fathers and 12 unmarried adult fathers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Scale and the Personal Attribute Inventory. Results revealed no significant differences between adolescent and adult fathers on self-concept or anxiety…

Activative Fathering Predicts Later Children's Behaviour Dysregulation and Sociability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Matthew M.; Crnic, Keith A.

2013-01-01

This study examined activative fathering observed during father--child interactions in the family home, focusing on the relation between activative fathering at children aged four and children's behaviour dysregulation and sociability at children aged five. One hundred twenty-seven families participated in the study. Activative fathering was…

Explaining the Long Reach of Fathers' Prenatal Involvement on Later Paternal Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cabrera, Natasha J.; Fagan, Jay; Farrie, Danielle

2008-01-01

The present study examined the association between unmarried fathers' prenatal involvement and fathers' engagement later in the child's life. The study sample consisted of 1,686 fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Findings using multiple regressions revealed that fathers' prenatal involvement is significantly and…

Neighborhood Disorder and Paternal Involvement of Nonresident and Resident Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Saijun; Fuller, Tamara

2012-01-01

Using data of 775 nonresident father families and 1,407 resident father families from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined whether neighborhood disorder was associated with fathers' supportive involvement in child care. Bivariate analysis indicated that mothers and children of nonresident father families were more…

Fathers Matter: The Role of Father Autonomy Support and Control in Preschoolers' Executive Function Development

PubMed Central

Meuwissen, Alyssa S.; Carlson, Stephanie M.

2015-01-01

Although previous work has shown that mothers' parenting influences the development of child executive function (important self-control skills developed in the preschool years) the role of fathers' parenting has not been thoroughly investigated. We observed fathers' autonomy support and control in dyadic play with their 3-year-old children (N pairs = 110), and measured father and child EF independently with laboratory tasks. We found that fathers' controlling parenting was significantly inversely related to the child EF composite, above and beyond family income and child verbal ability. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fathers are important for the development of EF in their children, and suggest fathers should be included in both research and parenting interventions. PMID:26209884

Military fathers' perspectives on involvement.

PubMed

Willerton, Elaine; Schwarz, Rona L; Wadsworth, Shelley M Macdermid; Oglesby, Mary Schultheis

2011-08-01

Military fathers endure repeated separations from their children. In this qualitative study we describe military fathers' range of involvement with their children, paying special attention to the implications of deployment separation and reintegration. We discuss father involvement using three overlapping major domains of functioning: cognitive, affective, and behavioral. Additionally, we consider how types of father involvement differ vis-à-vis child age. Data were gathered via focus groups conducted with 71 fathers at 14 U.S. military installations. Descriptions of involvement were rich and varied. Involvement with children was a major concern for fathers, despite or perhaps because of the challenges of military careers. We discuss factors that help explain variations in involvement and offer insights about the conceptualization of father involvement for occupations requiring prolonged absences from home.

The differential influence of absent and harsh fathers on juvenile delinquency.

PubMed

Simmons, Cortney; Steinberg, Laurence; Frick, Paul J; Cauffman, Elizabeth

2018-01-01

Researchers have identified father absence as a contributor to juvenile delinquency. Consequently, politicians and community leaders are making efforts to re-engage fathers. However, it is possible that the presence of fathers is not, in itself, a substantial protective factor and, in some cases, can even be more detrimental than father absence. Employing a diverse sample of male juvenile offenders in the U.S. (ages 13-17), the present study examined the differential effects of absent fathers and harsh fathers on delinquency. Results indicated that youth in the harsh-father group engaged in more offending behaviors and used more substances than youth in the absent-father group. This difference remained even after controlling for the mother-child relationship. Implications of these findings for future research and delinquency prevention programs are discussed. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fathers' Investments of Money and Time Across Residential Contexts.

PubMed

Carlson, Marcia J; VanOrman, Alicia G; Turner, Kimberly J

2017-02-01

Fathers' roles in family life have changed dramatically over the past 50 years. In addition to ongoing breadwinning responsibilities, many fathers are now involved in direct caregiving and engagement with children. Yet there is considerable variation in what fathers do, especially depending on whether they live with or away from their child. In this article, the authors use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 3,869) to describe how fathers' economic capacities (money) and direct involvement with children (time) are associated over child ages 1 to 9 for resident versus nonresident fathers, net of confounding factors. They found suggestive evidence that money and time investments operate differently across residential contexts: Resident fathers experience a trade-off between market work and time involved with children. In contrast, nonresident fathers' higher economic capacities are associated with more time involvement, underscoring the greater challenge for such fathers to remain actively involved.

"Waiting for Better Times": Experiences in the First Postpartum Year by Swedish Fathers With Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Edhborg, Maigun; Carlberg, Magdalena; Simon, Fia; Lindberg, Lene

2016-09-01

Swedish fathers are largely involved in their infant's care, and Sweden has a generous parental leave, with 2 months especially assigned for fathers. The prevalence of depressive symptoms postpartum for fathers appears to be similar as for mothers in Sweden. This study aimed to describe fathers' experiences of the first year postpartum, when they showed depressive symptoms 3 to 6 months postpartum. Semistructured interviews with 19 fathers were conducted and analyzed with content analysis. The fathers experienced loss of control and powerlessness due to discrepancies between their expectations and the reality they met after birth. They found the everyday-life turbulent, with much stress and worries for the infant, conflicts between family and work, and lack of support in everyday life. In addition, the fathers struggled with impaired partner-relationship, losses, and contradictory messages from both the society and their partners. These findings indicate that the fathers had difficulties to balance the competing demands of family, work, and their own needs. Thus, it is important to identify fathers with depressive symptoms at the Child Health Care Centers and attend to fathers' needs of support and acknowledge them as parents equal to mothers. © The Author(s) 2015.

Longitudinal associations between mothers' perceptions of nonresidential fathers' investment of resources and influence in decision-making.

PubMed

Fagan, Jay; Palkovitz, Rob

2018-02-01

Nonresidential fathers are challenged to remain involved with their children across time in both direct and indirect ways, including influencing decision-making around important issues such as school attendance and medical care. An analytic sample of 1,350 families with residential mothers and nonresidential fathers was selected from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Survey-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) to examine the longitudinal relationships between mothers' reports of nonresidential fathers' influence in decision-making and their provision of resources to their children. Findings indicate that fathers' voluntary contribution of tangible resources (informal child support, caregiving time) when children are 2 years old positively predict fathers' influence in decision-making regarding the care of their 4-year-old children. Fathers' early formal child support is not related to later decision-making. Fathers' communication with mother about the child at 24 months is related to later decision-making among daughters but not sons. Fathers' early decision-making is longitudinally related to later informal child support, caregiving time, and coparenting communication. The findings support the utility of a resource theory of fathering for understanding and predicting observed patterns of father involvement. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

[Impact of Different Types of Fathers on Family Climate in Young Adulthood: A Multi-perspective Longitudinal Study on 14 to 27 Year Olds and their Fathers].

PubMed

Escher, Fabian J; Seiffge-Krenke, Inge

2018-01-01

Impact of Different Types of Fathers on Family Climate in Young Adulthood: A Multi-perspective Longitudinal Study on 14 to 27 Year Olds and their Fathers In a 13 year longitudinal study, the influence of three types of fathers on the family climate was analyzed. In a sample of 213 subjects, their 169 fathers and their 210 mothers, the family environment ( Family Environment Scales) was examined when the subjects were young adults (M = 26.89, SD = 1.32). The results of the study point to significant changes in family climate in those young adults who described their father as increasingly negative (N = 28) or distant (N = 11) when in adolescence. These two groups showed a more negative family environment and greater differences between the perspectives of fathers and their young adult children than the group of young adults who described their father as normative (N = 174) when in adolescence. The highest discrepancies were described by young adults with a negative relationship with their father in adolescence. The findings show a long lasting importance of father-child interactions in adolescence.

Socioeconomic characteristics of fathers of children born to teenage mothers in Stockholm, Sweden.

PubMed

Ekéus, Cecilia; Christensson, Kyllike

2003-01-01

Teenage childbearing has been associated with adverse outcomes for the mother and the child. Despite this, no study in Sweden has focused on the fathers of those children. The aim of the present study was to describe and compare the socioeconomic situation of fathers of children born to teenage mothers with those of children born to average-aged mothers. A descriptive comparative study was conducted, which comprised 132 fathers of children born to teenage mothers (Group A) and the same number of fathers of children born to older mothers (Group B). All fathers answered a structured questionnaire regarding socioeconomic and reproductive factors. On certain critical variables the Group A fathers were more likely to have had a more compromised and difficult socioeconomic background. Compared with the Group B fathers they were more likely to have tried illicit drugs and to be involved in criminality. In addition, the Group A fathers often came from single-parent households. Many fathers of children born to teenage mothers showed problem behaviours, which may negatively influence their ability to engage in successful parenting. Therefore increased attention should be paid to the fathers at an early stage of pregnancy, during the antenatal visits.

Fathers' Needs and Masculinity Dilemmas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Denmark

PubMed Central

Ammentorp, Jette; Fenger-Gron, Jesper; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Johannessen, Helle; Thibeau, Shelley

2017-01-01

Background: Most healthcare professionals in neonatal intensive care units typically focus on the infants and mothers; fathers often feel powerless and find it difficult to establish a father-child relationship. In family-centered healthcare settings, exploring fathers' experiences and needs is important because men's roles in society, especially as fathers, are changing. Purpose: To describe fathers' needs when their infants are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit and to discuss these needs within a theoretical framework of masculinity to advance understanding and generate meaningful knowledge for clinical practices. Methods: This qualitative study used participant observation, interviews, multiple sequential interviews, and a focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using grounded theory principles. Results: Analysis of the fathers' needs generated 2 primary themes: (1) Fathers as caregivers and breadwinners and (2) fathers and emotions. Fathers wished to be involved and to take care of their infants but have to balance cultural and social norms and expectations of being breadwinners with their wishes to be equal coparents. Implications for Practice/Research: Health professionals in neonatal intensive care units must be aware of fathers' need and desire to be equal coparents. Nurses should play a key role by, for example, showing that fathers are as important to their infants as are the mothers, helping them become involved in childcare, and ensuring that they are directly informed about their children's progress. Further research in other cultural settings would contribute to knowledge regarding fatherhood and the role of fathers in childcare. PMID:28749826

African-American Fathers' Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers to Father-Son Sexual Health Communication.

PubMed

Randolph, Schenita D; Coakley, Tanya; Shears, Jeffrey; Thorpe, Roland J

2017-06-01

African-American males ages 13 through 24 are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), accounting for over half of all HIV infections in this age group in the United States. Clear communication between African-American parents and their youth about sexual health is associated with higher rates of sexual abstinence, condom use, and intent to delay initiation of sexual intercourse. However, little is known about African-American fathers' perceptions of what facilitates and inhibits sexual health communication with their preadolescent and adolescent sons. We conducted focus groups with 29 African-American fathers of sons ages 10-15 to explore perceived facilitators and barriers for father-son communication about sexual health. Participants were recruited from barbershops in metropolitan and rural North Carolina communities highly affected by STIs and HIV, and data were analyzed using content analysis. Three factors facilitated father-son communication: (a) fathers' acceptance of their roles and responsibilities; (b) a positive father-son relationship; and (c) fathers' ability to speak directly to their sons about sex. We also identified three barriers: (a) fathers' difficulty in initiating sexual health discussions with their sons; (b) sons' developmental readiness for sexual health information; and (c) fathers' lack of experience in talking with their own fathers about sex. These findings have implications for father-focused prevention interventions aimed at reducing risky sexual behaviors in adolescent African-American males. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How are they doing? Listening as fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder compare themselves to fathers of children who are typically developing.

PubMed

Cheuk, Samantha; Lashewicz, Bonnie

2016-04-01

The growing prevalence of autism spectrum disorder is accompanied by ongoing efforts to understand and support parents in the face of challenges related to their child's autism spectrum disorder. Although fathers are increasingly hands-on in raising children, research focus on parenting children with autism spectrum disorder continues to be skewed toward experiences of mothers. Our purpose in this article is to contribute understandings of how fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder perceive themselves to be managing, and we undertake this by examining comparisons fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder make between their parenting experiences and experiences of fathers of typically developing children. A purposive sample of 28 fathers of children (aged 2-13 years) with autism spectrum disorder living in an urban center in Western Canada participated in in-depth interviews about their parenting successes and challenges. We found fathers speak of universal fathering experiences yet articulate their own sense of loss and efforts to come to terms with unanticipated demands associated with autism spectrum disorder. Fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder feel "pangs of jealousy" toward fathers of typically developing children, yet they are keenly attentive to their own child's development and convey a sense of gratitude for their child's capabilities and personality amidst an appreciation for trials and triumphs of fathering in general and fathering a child with autism spectrum disorder in particular. © The Author(s) 2015.

Fathers' Needs and Masculinity Dilemmas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Denmark.

PubMed

Noergaard, Betty; Ammentorp, Jette; Fenger-Gron, Jesper; Kofoed, Poul-Erik; Johannessen, Helle; Thibeau, Shelley

2017-08-01

Most healthcare professionals in neonatal intensive care units typically focus on the infants and mothers; fathers often feel powerless and find it difficult to establish a father-child relationship. In family-centered healthcare settings, exploring fathers' experiences and needs is important because men's roles in society, especially as fathers, are changing. To describe fathers' needs when their infants are admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit and to discuss these needs within a theoretical framework of masculinity to advance understanding and generate meaningful knowledge for clinical practices. This qualitative study used participant observation, interviews, multiple sequential interviews, and a focus group discussion. Data were analyzed using grounded theory principles. Analysis of the fathers' needs generated 2 primary themes: (1) Fathers as caregivers and breadwinners and (2) fathers and emotions. Fathers wished to be involved and to take care of their infants but have to balance cultural and social norms and expectations of being breadwinners with their wishes to be equal coparents. Health professionals in neonatal intensive care units must be aware of fathers' need and desire to be equal coparents. Nurses should play a key role by, for example, showing that fathers are as important to their infants as are the mothers, helping them become involved in childcare, and ensuring that they are directly informed about their children's progress. Further research in other cultural settings would contribute to knowledge regarding fatherhood and the role of fathers in childcare.

Study Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial of a Fatherhood Intervention for African American Non-resident Fathers: Can we Improve Father and Child Outcomes?

PubMed Central

Julion, Wrenetha A.; Sumo, Jen’nea; Bounds, Dawn T.; Breitenstein, Susan M.; Schoeny, Michael; Gross, Deborah; Fogg, Louis

2016-01-01

Purpose African American (AA) fathers who live apart from their children face multiple obstacles to consistent and positive involvement with their children. Consequently, significant numbers of children are bereft of their father’s positive involvement. Intervention research that is explicitly focused on promoting the positive involvement of non-resident AA fathers with their young children is limited. The purpose of this article is to describe the study protocol of a randomized trial (RCT) designed to test the Building Bridges to Fatherhood program against a financial literacy comparison condition; and discuss early implementation challenges. Methods Fathers (n = 180) are recruited to attend 10 group meetings, reimbursed for transportation, given dinner and activity vouchers for spending time with their child, and incentivized with a $40 gift card at each data collection time point. Mothers are incentivized ($40 gift card) at data collection and must be amenable to father child interaction. Intervention targets include father psychological well-being, parenting competence, communication, problem-solving ability; father-mother relationship quality; and child behavioral and emotional/social development. Results To date, 57 fathers have been randomized to study condition. Recruitment has been influenced by father and mother hesitancy and the logistics of reaching and maintaining contact with participants. Strategies to surmount challenges to father and mother recruitment and engagement have been developed. Conclusions The prospective benefits of positive father involvement to children, fathers and families outweigh the challenges associated with community-based intervention research. The findings from this RCT can inform the body of knowledge on engaging AA non-resident fathers in culturally relevant fatherhood programming. PMID:27241687

Longitudinal Influence of Paternal Distress on Children’s Representations of Fathers, Family Cohesion, and Family Conflict

PubMed Central

Adamsons, Kari L.; Robinson, JoAnn L.; Sabatelli, Ronald M.

2014-01-01

A parent’s distress is known to color children’s experiences of their families. Studies, however, have rarely focused on the levels of distress experienced by fathers, and in particular, as they affect the emotional experiences of their children. We examine the impact that fathers’ experience of distress throughout their children’s early years has on children’s emerging narrative representations of father-child relationships and of family conflict and cohesion. In this longitudinal investigation, fathers of young children reported their distress on two occasions in relation to self, the marital relationship, and the family climate. Fathers also concurrently reported on their children’s temperament, specifically negative emotionality. Children responded to story stem beginnings about challenging situations in the family and their narratives were scored for dysregulated negative-disciplinary and positive parental behaviors of fathers, family conflict themes, and family harmony themes. It was hypothesized that children of more distressed fathers would represent greater dysregulated fathering and higher levels of family conflict, and lower levels of positive fathering and family harmony than children of less distressed fathers. Further, the study examined whether this effect was mediated through the fathers’ reports of their children’s negative emotionality. Results partially supported the hypothesized direct and indirect effects. Children’s narratives of negative-disciplinary fathering and family conflict were more common in boys when fathers reported greater distress, and temperament ratings fully mediated this effect. However, their narratives of positive fathering and family harmony were not significantly affected. That positive family features were preserved in children’s narratives even in the face of greater father distress suggests that families may be able to build resilience to internalized distress through these positive narrative features. PMID:25995610

The impact of a father's presence during newborn resuscitation: a qualitative interview study with healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Harvey, Merryl E; Pattison, Helen M

2013-03-27

To explore healthcare professionals' experiences around the time of newborn resuscitation in the delivery room, when the baby's father was present. A qualitative descriptive, retrospective design using the critical incident approach. Tape-recorded semistructured interviews were undertaken with healthcare professionals involved in newborn resuscitation. Participants recalled resuscitation events when the baby's father was present. They described what happened and how those present, including the father, responded. They also reflected upon the impact of the resuscitation and the father's presence on themselves. Participant responses were analysed using thematic analysis. A large teaching hospital in the UK. Purposive sampling was utilised. It was anticipated that 35-40 participants would be recruited. Forty-nine potential participants were invited to take part. The final sample consisted of 37 participants including midwives, obstetricians, anaesthetists, neonatal nurse practitioners, neonatal nurses and paediatricians. Four themes were identified: 'whose role?' 'saying and doing' 'teamwork' and 'impact on me'. While no-one was delegated to support the father during the resuscitation, midwives and anaesthetists most commonly took on this role. Participants felt the midwife was the most appropriate person to support fathers. All healthcare professional groups said they often did not know what to say to fathers during prolonged resuscitation. Teamwork was felt to be of benefit to all concerned, including the father. Some paediatricians described their discomfort when fathers came to the resuscitaire. None of the participants had received education and training specifically on supporting fathers during newborn resuscitation. This is the first known study to specifically explore the experiences of healthcare professionals of the father's presence during newborn resuscitation. The findings suggest the need for more focused training about supporting fathers. There is also scope for service providers to consider ways in which fathers can be supported more readily during newborn resuscitation.

The Relationship Between Father Involvement and Child Problem Behaviour in Intact Families: A 7-Year Cross-Lagged Study.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini; Midouhas, Emily; Narayanan, Martina K

2016-07-01

This study investigated the cross-lagged relationship between father involvement and child problem behaviour across early-to-middle childhood, and tested whether temperament modulated any cross-lagged child behaviour effects on father involvement. It used data from the first four waves of the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, when children (50.3 % male) were aged 9 months, and 3, 5 and 7 years. The sample was 8302 families where both biological parents were co-resident across the four waves. Father involvement (participation in play and physical and educational activities with the child) was measured at ages 3, 5 and 7, as was child problem behaviour (assessed with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire). Key child and family covariates related to father involvement and child problem behaviour were controlled. Little evidence was found that more father involvement predicted less child problem behaviour two years later, with the exception of father involvement at child's age 5 having a significant, but small, effect on peer problems at age 7. There were two child effects. More hyperactive children at age 3 had more involved fathers at age 5, and children with more conduct problems at age 3 had more involved fathers at age 5. Child temperament did not moderate any child behaviour effects on father involvement. Thus, in young, intact UK families, child adjustment appears to predict, rather than be predicted by, father involvement in early childhood. When children showed more problematic behaviours, fathers did not become less involved. In fact, early hyperactivity and conduct problems in children seemed to elicit more involvement from fathers. At school age, father involvement appeared to affect children's social adjustment rather than vice versa.

The Disengaged Noncustodial Father: Implications for Social Work Practice with the Divorced Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kruk, Edward

1994-01-01

Canadian and British study examined impact of divorce on noncustodial fathers' disengagement. Results from 80 noncustodial fathers generated two distinct profiles of noncustodial fathers and marked discontinuity between pre- and postdivorce father-child relationships. Findings suggest transition period from point of divorce to 6-12 months after…

Fathers, Families, and the Future: A Plethora of Plausible Predictions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parke, Ross D.

2004-01-01

This commentary focuses on new directions in the study of fathers and families. Several topics that are ripe for more theoretical and empirical scrutiny are outlined. These include the biological determinants of fathering, cultural constraints on fathers, the impact of becoming a father on men?s development as adults, and an intergenerational…

Father Involvement with Three-to-Four-Year Olds at Home: Giving Fathers a Chance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Betawi, Iman Amy; Abdel Jabbar, Sinaria Kamil; AL Jabery, Mohammad. A.; Zaza, Haidar Ibrahim; Al-Shboul, Muhannad

2014-01-01

This study examined fathers' perceptions regarding their home-based activities (HBA) and the influence of fathers' demographic characteristics on their perceptions and practices at home. A total of 396 fathers completed a survey questionnaire describing their demographic information, perceptions and their practices regarding their involvement in…

Fathers' Involvement in Preschool Programs for Children with and without Hearing Loss

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ingber, Sara; Most, Tova

2012-01-01

The authors compared the involvement in children's development and education of 38 fathers of preschoolers with hearing loss to the involvement of a matched group of 36 fathers of preschoolers with normal hearing, examining correlations between child, father, and family characteristics. Fathers completed self-reports regarding their parental…

The Influence of Religion on Fathers' Relationships with Their Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Valarie

2003-01-01

Explores how aspects of a father's religiousness are related to the type and quality of involvement with his children. Results indicate that religious fathers are more involved fathers and that they report higher quality relationships. Greater involvement of religious fathers is explained only in part by demographic factors and the mediating…

Full-Time, Part-Time Full-Time, and Part-Time Fathers: Father Identities Following Divorce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troilo, Jessica; Coleman, Marilyn

2012-01-01

This grounded theory study examined how 20 newly divorced, nonresidential fathers manage their fatherhood identities. The theory created from this study proposes that fathers' perceptions of (a) father-child relationships, (b) how their children's fiscal needs are met, and (c) barriers to their physical interactions with their children influence…

Patterns of Father Self Evaluations among Mexican and European American Men and Links to Adolescent Adjustment

PubMed Central

Perez-Brena, Norma J.; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Fabricius, William V.; Saenz, Delia

2013-01-01

A mixed-method study identified profiles of fathers who mentioned key dimensions of their parenting and linked profile membership to adolescents’ adjustment using data from 337 European American, Mexican American and Mexican immigrant fathers and their early adolescent children. Father narratives about what fathers do well as parents were thematically coded for the presence of five fathering dimensions: emotional quality (how well father and child get along), involvement (amount of time spent together), provisioning (the amount of resources provided), discipline (the amount and success in parental control), and role modeling (teaching life lessons through example). Next, latent class analysis was used to identify three patterns of the likelihood of mentioning certain fathering dimensions: an emotionally-involved group mentioned emotional quality and involvement; an affective-control group mentioned emotional quality, involvement, discipline and role modeling; and an affective-model group mentioned emotional quality and role modeling. Profiles were significantly associated with subsequent adolescents’ reports of adjustment such that adolescents of affective-control fathers reported significantly more externalizing behaviors than adolescents of emotionally-involved fathers. PMID:24883049

Determinants of father involvement with young children: Evidence from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort.

PubMed

Planalp, Elizabeth M; Braungart-Rieker, Julia M

2016-02-01

The current study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B; Snow et al., 2007) to explore determinants of resident father involvement. Families (N = 2,900) were measured at 3 time points (9 months, 2 years, and 4 years of age). Father, mother, and child factors were examined in relation to father caregiving and play. Latent change score models indicated that fathers engaged in more caregiving and play behaviors and increased at a faster rate when they more strongly identified with their role as a father. Fathers engaged in more caregiving when mothers reported higher depressive symptoms and increased in play more slowly when marital conflict was higher. In addition, a Mother Depressive Symptoms × Marital Conflict interaction emerged indicating that fathers differed in their levels of caregiving depending on mothers' report of depressive symptoms, but only when marital conflict was low. Fathers also increased in caregiving at a faster rate with girls than boys. A comprehensive framework for examining resident father involvement is presented. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Postdivorce living arrangements, parent conflict, and long-term physical health correlates for children of divorce.

PubMed

Fabricius, William V; Luecken, Linda J

2007-06-01

The authors tested a biopsychosocial model in which young adults' long-term relationships with fathers and ongoing distress surrounding their parents' divorces mediated the relationship between disrupted parenting (i.e., exposure to parent conflict before the divorce and up to 5 years after, and amount of time with father postdivorce) and indicators of their physical health. University students whose parents divorced before they were 16 (n = 266) participated. Findings supported the model. The more time children lived with their fathers after divorce, the better their current relationships were with their fathers, independent of parent conflict. The more parent conflict they experienced, the worse their relationships were with their fathers and the more distress they currently felt about their parents' divorce, independent of time with father. Poor father-child relationships and more distress in turn predicted poorer health status. There was no interaction between exposure to parent conflict and time with father; thus, more time with father was beneficial in both high- and low-conflict families, and more exposure to parent conflict was detrimental at both high and low levels of time with father.

Fathers of children with Down's syndrome versus other types of intellectual disability: perceptions, stress and involvement.

PubMed

Ricci, L A; Hodapp, R M

2003-01-01

The present study examined fathers' perceptions of, stress relating to and involvement with children with Down's syndrome (DS) (n = 30) versus those with other types of intellectual disability (ID) (n = 20). Fathers and mothers completed questionnaires about their children's personalities and maladaptive behaviours, their own parenting stress, and the fathers' level of involvement. Both fathers and mothers rated their children with DS as having more positive personality traits and fewer maladaptive behaviours. Possibly because of these positive perceptions, fathers of children with DS also reported less child-related stress, particularly in the areas of acceptability, adaptability and demandingness. The two groups of fathers were very similarly involved in child rearing. The personality, age and maladaptive behaviours of the children related to stress levels in the fathers of children with DS, while maladaptive behaviours, gender and the fathers' education levels related to stress levels in the fathers of children with other types of ID. These results highlight the importance of examining parental stress and involvement with children with different types of ID.

Non-resident fathers' relationships with their secondary school age children: determinants and children's mental health outcomes.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini

2006-08-01

Data from 520 British secondary school age children were used to explore determinants of and mental health outcomes (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) from their non-resident fathers' relationships (child-reported father's involvement and frequency of contact) with them. Frequency of contact was negatively related to time elapsed since parents separated, and was higher if fathers were single than partnered. Compared to White, non-White adolescents reported lower frequency of father's contact but not lower father's involvement. Father's involvement was related positively to mother's involvement and negatively to interparental conflict. As a whole, non-resident father's involvement and frequency of contact did not improve the regression models predicting children's total difficulties or pro-social behaviour. Even after controlling for other factors non-resident father's involvement did not predict child's difficulties or pro-social behaviour, although frequency of contact was negatively associated with child's emotional symptoms. Neither child's ethnicity or gender nor mother's partner status moderated the link between child's mental health outcomes and non-resident father's involvement or frequency of contact.

Cultural Influences on Positive Father Involvement in Two-Parent Mexican-Origin Families

PubMed Central

Cruz, Rick A.; King, Kevin M.; Widaman, Keith F.; Leu, Janxin; Cauce, Ana Mari; Conger, Rand D.

2011-01-01

A growing body of research documents the importance of positive father involvement in children’s development. However, research on fathers in Latino families is sparse, and research contextualizing the father-child relationship within a cultural framework is needed. The current study examined how father's cultural practices and values predicted their fifth-grade child’s report of positive father involvement among a sample of 450 two-parent Mexican-origin families. Predictors included Spanish and English language use, Mexican and American cultural values, and positive machismo (i.e., culturally related attitudes about the father’s role within the family). Positive father involvement was measured by child's report of his/her father's monitoring, educational involvement, and warmth. Latent variable regression analyses showed that fathers’ machismo attitudes were positively related to child's report of positive father involvement and that this association was similar across boys and girls. The results of this study suggest an important association between father’s cultural values about men’s roles and responsibilities within a family and his child’s perception of positive fathering. PMID:21842992

The impact of fathers' clubs on child health in rural Haiti.

PubMed

Sloand, Elizabeth; Astone, Nan Marie; Gebrian, Bette

2010-02-01

In recognition of the important role that fathers play in the lives of young children in Haiti, a public health organization instituted fathers' clubs in 1994 as a strategy to improve the health outcomes of children. Fathers' clubs focus on child and family health education. To evaluate the effectiveness of fathers' clubs, we examined the health of children born in Haitian villages with and without active fathers' clubs and compared results for the two groups. The presence of a fathers' club in a child's birth village had a positive effect on vaccination status, growth monitoring, and vitamin A supplementation after we controlled for socioeconomic status, time, and the quality of the village health agent. Child weights and mortality were not affected by the fathers' clubs.

Fathers matter: The role of father parenting in preschoolers' executive function development.

PubMed

Meuwissen, Alyssa S; Carlson, Stephanie M

2015-12-01

Although previous work has shown that mothers' parenting influences the development of child executive function (EF; important self-control skills developed during the preschool years), the role of fathers' parenting has not been thoroughly investigated. We observed fathers' autonomy support and control in dyadic play with their 3-year-old children (N pairs=110) and measured father and child EF independently with laboratory tasks. We found that fathers' controlling parenting was significantly inversely related to the child EF composite, above and beyond family income and child verbal ability. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that fathers are important for the development of EF in their children and suggest that fathers should be included in both research and parenting interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The design and development of the father-child instrument (FCI) for assessing the characteristics of fathers' availability and engagement with their preschool children.

PubMed

Halme, Nina; Tarkka, Marja-Terttu; Paavilainen, Eija; Nummi, Tapio; Astedt-Kurki, Päivi

2010-06-01

Despite the fact that father-child involvement has extensive effects on the health and well-being of the family, there is a paucity of research on fathers' presence in health care research. The design and development of an instrument for assessing the characteristics of fathers' availability and engagement with their preschool-aged children in Finland is presented. Data collection was undertaken in two separate periods involving 263 and 821 fathers. Results indicate that the father-child instrument (FCI) is ready for use in research seeking to assess fathers' availability and engagement with their preschoolers. Further research is nonetheless required to assess the potential for a more sensitive interaction and for the generalization of the FCI.

Fathers sharing about early parental support in health-care - virtual discussions on an Internet forum.

PubMed

Salzmann-Erikson, Martin; Eriksson, Henrik

2013-07-01

Becoming a father is a life changing event and this transition is associated with various emotions. Educational activities aimed at new parents are important in healthcare parental support (HCPS). HCPS has been critiqued for its predominant focus on mothers, while the needs of fathers seem to have been downplayed. As a result, fathers often turn to Internet-based forums for support. As virtual discussions and mutual support among fathers take place in cyberspace, it is important to monitor these forums to observe the ways in which the fathers discuss HCPS. The aim of this study is to explore the ways in which new fathers visiting an Internet-based forum for fathers communicated their experiences of HCPS. A netnographic method consisting of six steps was used to gather and analyse the data. The findings show that fathers shared with one another their experiences of the attitudes expressed by HCPS workers as well as their own attitudes towards HCPS. The attitudes of HCPS workers that were directed towards the fathers were perceived as highly personal and individual, while fathers described their attitudes towards the HCPS in general terms, towards HCPS as a system. Overall, the fathers described HCPS as a valuable confirmatory support that eased their worries concerning sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), colic, weight gain, fever and teething. Although the fathers expressed gratitude towards HCPS, they also shared their negative experiences, such as feeling invisible, disregarded and insulted. In fact, the twofold attitudes that exist in the relationship between the fathers and HCPS can act as a barrier rather than being a confirmatory support. We recommend that HCPS adopts a broader approach using more targeted and strategic didactic methods for supporting fathers in the growth of their own personal awareness, as such an approach would offer a competitive and professional alternative to the support offered in informal experience-based Internet forums. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Keeping in touch with children after separation: the point of view of fathers.

PubMed

Le Bourdais, Céline; Juby, Heather; Marcil-Gratton, Nicole

2002-01-01

The amount of father-child contact after separation is closely linked to the probability that father fulfill their financial obligations towards their children. Determining the factors that encourage this contact is, therefore, crucial to the process of reducing the risk of poverty to which children of separated parents are exposed. Based on data collected from fathers at the 1995 Canadian General Social Survey of the Family, this paper uses multi-level regression analysis to identify factors associated with higher levels of contact between fathers and children, including socio-demographic characteristics of children and fathers, variables associated with attitudes, and fathers' satisfaction with custody and access arrangements.

Gay fathers' motivations for and feelings about surrogacy as a path to parenthood.

PubMed

Blake, L; Carone, N; Raffanello, E; Slutsky, Jenna; Ehrhardt, A A; Golombok, S

2017-04-01

Why do gay men choose to start their families through surrogacy? Most fathers chose surrogacy because they considered adoption to be a less desirable and/or accessible path to parenthood. Little is known of gay fathers' motivations to use surrogacy as a path to parenthood over and above other forms of family building, such as adoption, and no studies have examined fathers' satisfaction with the surrogacy process. This study used a cross-sectional design as part of a larger investigation of parent-child relationships and child adjustment in 40 gay father surrogacy families. Multiple strategies (e.g. surrogacy agencies, social events and snowballing) were used to recruit as diverse a sample as possible. Data were obtained from 74 fathers (in 6 families only 1 father was available for interview). Semi-structured interviews, lasting ~1 h, were conducted in the family home (65%) or over Skype (35%) with 74 gay fathers (35 genetic fathers, 32 non-genetic fathers and 7 fathers who did not know or did not disclose who the genetic father was), when the children were 3-9 years old. Genetic and non-genetic fathers were just as likely to want to become parents and had similar motivations for choosing surrogacy as a path to parenthood. Most fathers (N = 55, 74%) were satisfied with surrogacy and were satisfied (N = 31. 42%) or had neutral feelings (N = 21, 28%) about their choice of who would be the genetic father. Most fathers received supportive reactions to their decision to use surrogacy from both families of origin (e.g. parents, siblings) (N = 47, 64%) and from friends (N = 63, 85%). Although diverse recruitment strategies were used, data were obtained from a volunteer sample. Therefore, the possibility that fathers who had a positive surrogacy experience may have been more likely to participate in the study, and therefore introduce bias, cannot be ruled out. Due to the high average annual income of the fathers in the study, findings may not generalize to gay fathers with lower incomes. It is often assumed that parents' primary motivation for using ART is to have a genetic connection to the child. This study revealed that whilst genetic fatherhood was important for some gay fathers in surrogacy families, it was not important for all. This information will be of use to surrogacy agencies and organizations supporting men who are considering the different routes to parenthood. This work was funded by the Wellcome Trust [097857/Z/11/Z] and the Jacob's Foundation. None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare. N/A. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

Factors influencing first-time fathers' involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth: A correlational study.

PubMed

Xue, Weilin Lynn; He, Hong-Gu; Chua, Ying Jie; Wang, Wenru; Shorey, Shefaly

2018-07-01

To examine factors influencing first-time fathers' involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth in Singapore. A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted in a public tertiary hospital in Singapore. A total of 182 first-time fathers whose wives were hospitalized at four obstetric wards were recruited from November 2015 to January 2016. Data were collected by three newly developed and validated instruments, namely Father's Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth, Father's Informational and Sources of Support, and Father's Attitude Towards Involvement in Pregnancy and Childbirth, as well as the 16-item Couple Satisfaction Index and Family of Origin Questionnaire. The participants were generally involved in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth, with 35.2% being highly involved. There was no significant difference in fathers' levels of involvement between or among any sociodemographic subgroups. Significant Spearman's correlations were found between fathers' levels of involvement and levels of informational support as well as fathers' attitudes towards involvement. However, the logistic regression showed the level of informational support was the only significant factor that influenced first-time fathers' high levels of involvement in their wives' pregnancy and childbirth. The study revealed the importance of providing sufficient informational support to first-time fathers so that they can be highly involved in their wife's pregnancy and childbirth. Future studies can develop technology-based intervention programmes to improve fathers' involvement in their wife's pregnancy and childbirth. Healthcare professionals should examine and improve the existing informational support for first-time fathers and ensure its relevance and convenient access. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The clinical features of alcohol use disorders in biological and step-fathers that predict risk for alcohol use disorders in offspring.

PubMed

Kendler, Kenneth S; Ohlsson, Henrik; Edwards, Alexis; Sundquist, Jan; Sundquist, Kristina

2017-12-01

Given that Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) is clinically heterogeneous, can we, in a large epidemiological sample using public registries, identify clinical features of AUD cases in biological and step-fathers that index, respectively, genetic and familial-environmental risk for AUD in their offspring? From all father-offspring pairs where the father had AUD and the offspring was born 1960-1990, we identified not-lived-with (NLW) biological fathers (n = 38,376) and step-father pairs (n = 9,711). The relationship between clinical and historical features of the father's AUD and risk for AUD in offspring was assessed by linear hazard regression. Age at first registration for AUD and recurrence of AUD registration were significantly stronger predictors of risk for AUD in the offspring of NLW fathers than in step-fathers. By contrast, number of AUD registrations in NLW fathers and step-fathers were equally predictive of risk for AUD in offspring. However, while the number of step-father AUD registrations that occurred when he was living them with significantly predicted risk for AUD in his step-children, the number of registrations that occurred when not residing with his step-children was unassociated with their AUD risk. In an epidemiological sample, we could meaningfully differentiate between features of AUD in fathers that indexed genetic risk which was transmitted to biological offspring (early age at onset and recurrence) versus indexed environmental risk (registrations while rearing) which increased risk in step-children. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

"Dad - a practical guy in the shadow": Fathers' experiences of their paternal role as a father during early discharge after birth and readmission of their newborns.

PubMed

Feenstra, Maria Monberg; Nilsson, Ingrid; Danbjørg, Dorthe Boe

2018-03-01

The aim is to explore how new fathers experience early discharge after birth and readmission of their newborn in relation to their role and involvement as a father. Fathers of today are active participants during pregnancy, birth and in the care of the newborn. Still studies demonstrate that health care professionals are unsuccessful at involving fathers in ante- and postnatal care. How fathers experience their paternal role in the early postnatal period may affect the well-being of the new family. A qualitative study inspired by the hermeneutic approach. Data was collected through telephone interviews. The study was conducted in the Region of Southern Denmark in a University Hospital setting. Convenience sampling was applied. Eight fathers were included from November 2015 till February 2016 and six were interviewed. The data analysis revealed three categories: Early discharge - ups and downs, Readmission -waiting but being in good hands, and Practical guy in the shadow. Our study points at fathers being comfortable with being discharged early, but experienced insecurity when at home. The fathers experienced to be categorized by health care professionals as the practical guy, who had to assist the mother. Yet fathers saw themselves as equal to the mothers. Fathers also saw themselves in the shadow of the mother and showed greater considerations for the mother's feelings than their own. Fathers can be insecure in their paternal role when being met as just the practical guy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fathers’ Perceived Reasons for Their Underrepresentation in Child Health Research and Strategies to Increase Their Involvement

PubMed Central

Charles, Jo N.; Khandpur, Neha; Nelson, Timothy J.

2017-01-01

Purpose Examine fathers’ perceived reasons for their lack of inclusion in pediatric research and strategies to increase their participation. Description We conducted expert interviews with researchers and practitioners (N = 13) working with fathers to inform the development of an online survey. The survey—which measured fathers’ perceived reasons for their underrepresentation in pediatric research, recommended recruitment venues, and research personnel and study characteristics valued by fathers—was distributed online and in-person to fathers. Assessment Respondents included 303 fathers. Over 80 % of respondents reported that fathers are underrepresented in pediatric research because they have not been asked to participate. Frequently recommended recruitment venues included community sports events (52 %), social service programs (48 %) and the internet (60 %). Compared with white fathers, more non-white fathers recommended public transit (19 % vs. 10 %, p = .02), playgrounds (16 % vs. 6 %, p = .007) and barber shops (34 % vs. 14 %, p <.0001) and fewer recommended doctors’ offices (31 % vs. 43 %, p = .046) as recruitment venues. Compared with residential fathers (100 % resident with the target child), more non-residential fathers recommended social services programs (45 % vs. 63 %, p = .03) and public transit (10 % vs. 27 %, p = .001) and fewer recommended the workplace (17 % vs. 40 %, p = .002) as recruitment venues. Study brevity, perceived benefits for fathers and their families, and the credibility of the lead organization were valued by fathers. Conclusion Fathers’ participation in pediatric research may increase if researchers explicitly invite father to participate, target father-focused recruitment venues, clearly communicate the benefits of the research for fathers and their families and adopt streamlined study procedures. PMID:27473093

The forgotten parent: Fathers' representation in family interventions to prevent childhood obesity.

PubMed

Davison, K K; Kitos, N; Aftosmes-Tobio, A; Ash, T; Agaronov, A; Sepulveda, M; Haines, J

2018-06-01

Despite recognition that parents are critical stakeholders in childhood obesity prevention, obesity research has overwhelmingly focused on mothers. In a recent review, fathers represented only 17% of parent participants in >600 observational studies on parenting and childhood obesity. The current study examined the representation of fathers in family interventions to prevent childhood obesity and characteristics of interventions that include fathers compared with those that only include mothers. Eligible studies included family-based interventions for childhood obesity prevention published between 2008 and 2015 identified in a recent systematic review. Data on intervention characteristics were extracted from the original review. Using a standardized coding scheme, these data were augmented with new data on the number of participating fathers/male caregivers and mothers/female caregivers. Out of 85 eligible interventions, 31 (37%) included mothers and fathers, 29 (34%) included only mothers, 1 (1%) included only fathers, and 24 (28%) did not provide information on parent gender. Of the interventions that included fathers, half included 10 or fewer fathers. Across all interventions, fathers represented a mere 6% of parent participants. Father inclusion was more common in interventions targeting families with elementary school-aged children (6-10 years) and those grounded in Ecological Systems Theory, and was less common in interventions focused on very young children (0-1 years) or the prenatal period and those targeting the sleep environment. This study emphasizes the lack of fathers in childhood obesity interventions and highlights a particular need to recruit and engage fathers of young children in prevention efforts. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The value of children to gay and heterosexual fathers.

PubMed

Bigner, J J; Jacobsen, R B

1989-01-01

Responses of 33 gay fathers were compared with those of 33 heterosexual fathers on the Value of Children scale, an empirical measure of the reasons for wanting to become a parent. Responses of gay fathers did not differ significantly from heterosexual fathers on the majority of the items of the inventory, but differences were found on two subscales, Tradition-Continuity-Security and Social Status. Item analysis of responses shows that gay fathers may have particularly significant reasons motivating them to become parents.

Paternal involvement in pediatric Type 1 diabetes: fathers' and mothers' psychological functioning and disease management.

PubMed

Hansen, Jennifer A; Weissbrod, Carol; Schwartz, David D; Taylor, W Patrick

2012-03-01

Psychological functioning in fathers of children with Type 1 diabetes has received relatively little attention compared to mothers. This study examined fathers' perceived involvement in their children's diabetes care as it related to mothers' and fathers' pediatric parenting stress, depression, anxiety, marital satisfaction, and sleep, and to their children's diabetes regimen adherence and glycemic control. Eighty-two mothers and 43 fathers completed questionnaires. Multivariate linear regressions were conducted separately for mothers and fathers to determine the relationships between the perceived amount and the perceived helpfulness of father involvement in child diabetes care on parental psychosocial functioning and child diabetes control. Maternal perceptions of father helpfulness and amount of involvement in illness care were related to improved marital satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms in mothers. In fathers, perception of their own amount of involvement was related to increased pediatric parenting stress and anxiety. Better child regimen adherence was associated with maternal perceptions of father helpfulness but not the amount of their involvement, while paternal perceptions of their own helpfulness were related to poorer glycemic control. These findings suggest that fathers and mothers may react differently to their roles in childhood illness and that perceptions of their involvement may be differently associated with children's glycemic control and regimen adherence.

Fathers' involvement in Swedish child health care - the role of nurses' practices and attitudes.

PubMed

Massoudi, Pamela; Wickberg, Birgitta; Hwang, C Philip

2011-03-01

To investigate how nurses in Swedish child health care perceived working with fathers, and to what extent they offered support to, and included fathers in clinical encounters. A random sample of all nurses in Swedish child health care, 499 nurses, were asked to complete a postal questionnaire. The response rate was 70%. Data were analysed with content analysis, the chi-square test and logistic regression models. Almost all of the nurses found working with fathers positive. Fathers' participation in child health care was much lower than that of mothers'. Almost 90% of the nurses estimated that it rarely came to their attention that a father was distressed, and less than one of five nurses had offered supportive counselling to any distressed father in the previous year. Nurses with regular supervision on mental health issues and nurses with a paediatric specialization were more likely to offer supportive counselling to fathers. Approximately 50% of the nurses had an ambivalent attitude towards fathers' caring capacity when compared to that of mothers. Fathers received less support from child health nurses, and many nurses were ambivalent about fathers' caring abilities. Methods need to be developed to involve both parents in child health care. © 2010 The Author(s)/Acta Paediatrica © 2010 Foundation Acta Paediatrica.

Gatekeeping and its impact on father involvement among Black South Africans in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

PubMed

Makusha, Tawanda; Richter, Linda

2016-01-01

Involved and caring fatherhood contributes to the health and wellbeing of children, women and men. The corollary is also true - men, women and children are affected when fathers are not involved or supportive of their children. Many factors affect fathers' involvement, including women's attitudes, the history and nature of the relationship between mother and father, and the cultural context. This study explores gatekeeping and its impact on father involvement among Black South Africans in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Among married couples, gatekeeping occurs with respect to childcare and housework through women's attempts to validate their maternal identity according to socially and culturally constructed gender roles. Among unmarried, non-resident parents, women control father-child contact and involvement, with mothers and/or their families either facilitating or inhibiting father involvement. In this context, we found that cultural gatekeeping had a huge impact on father involvement, with the non-payment of inhlawulo or lobola regulating father-child involvement. In a country like South Africa, where there is high non-marital fertility and father-child non-residence, future research, parenting and family programmes should focus on strategies that encourage positive paternal involvement as well as maternal and cultural support for father involvement, regardless of parental relationship and residence status.

Rural Latino farmworker fathers' understanding of children's oral health.

PubMed

Swan, Matthew A; Barker, Judith C; Hoeft, Kristin S

2010-01-01

This study's purpose was to examine rural Latino fathers' understanding of their children's oral health. A convenience sample (n=20) of fathers from a small agricultural community in California was recruited door-to-door and interviewed in their homes. Individual qualitative interviews in Spanish were conducted. Interviews were audiotaped, translated, and transcribed. Codes were developed, and the text was analyzed for recurrent themes. Fathers came from Mexico (n=15) and El Salvador (n=5). Fathers had very little understanding of the etiology and clinical signs of dental caries. Overall, 18 of 19 fathers reported that their wife was primarily responsible for taking care of the children's hygiene. Fathers agreed that children's teeth should be taken care of from a young age, considered to be after 2 years. The fathers described very minimal hygiene assistance given to children by either parent and often considered a verbal reminder to be sufficient assistance. Fathers generally thought a child did not need supervision after approximately age 4 (range=1-11 years). While rural Latino fathers might not actively participate in their children's oral hygiene, they do place value on it. Men are supportive of dental treatments, albeit later than recommended. Educational messages aimed at these families will disseminate to the fathers, indirectly.

Optimising child outcomes from parenting interventions: fathers' experiences, preferences and barriers to participation.

PubMed

Tully, Lucy A; Piotrowska, Patrycja J; Collins, Daniel A J; Mairet, Kathleen S; Black, Nicola; Kimonis, Eva R; Hawes, David J; Moul, Caroline; Lenroot, Rhoshel K; Frick, Paul J; Anderson, Vicki; Dadds, Mark R

2017-06-07

Early childhood interventions can have both immediate and long-term positive effects on cognitive, behavioural, health and education outcomes. Fathers are underrepresented in interventions focusing on the well-being of children. However, father participation may be critical for intervention effectiveness, especially for parenting interventions for child externalising problems. To date, there has been very little research conducted to understand the low rates of father participation and to facilitate the development of interventions to meet the needs of fathers. This study examined fathers' experiences of, and preferences for, parenting interventions as well as perceptions of barriers to participation. It also examined how these factors were associated with child externalising behaviour problems, and explored the predictors of participation in parenting interventions. A community sample of 1001 fathers of children aged 2-16 years completed an online survey about experiences with parenting interventions, perceived barriers to participation, the importance of different factors in their decision to attend, and preferred content and delivery methods. They also completed ratings of their child's behaviour using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Overall, 15% of fathers had participated in a parenting intervention or treatment for child behaviour, with significantly higher rates of participation for fathers of children with high versus low levels of externalising problems. Fathers rated understanding what is involved in the program and knowing that the facilitator is trained as the two most important factors in their decision to participate. There were several barriers to participation that fathers of children with high-level externalising problems were more likely to endorse, across practical barriers and help-seeking attitudes, compared to fathers of children with low-level externalising problems. Almost two-thirds of fathers of children with high-level externalising behaviour had not participated in a parenting intervention or treatment. The only significant predictors of intervention participation were severity of child externalising behaviour problems and child age. The findings have important implications for services seeking to increase father engagement and highlight a number of strategies to enhance the promotion and delivery of parenting interventions to fathers. These strategies include more public health messaging about parenting programs and the importance of father participation.

Does Research on Children Reared in Father-absent Families Yield Information on Father Influences?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Frank A.

1976-01-01

The most frequently employed research design for studying paternal influences on child development has been to compare children reared in father-absent families to those reared in father-present families. Research should be directed to the study and conceptualization of the more specific components of experience in the father-child and…

Recognising Fathers: A National Survey of Fathers Who Have Children with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towers, Christine

2009-01-01

The "Recognising Fathers" research began in 2005 in response to hearing from mothers and fathers that fathers often felt marginalised in the process of arranging care and support for their children with learning disabilities. At the same time it was apparent that national family policy was indicating a growing recognition of the…

Influence of Father-Infant Relationship on Infant Development: A Father-Involvement Intervention in Vietnam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rempel, Lynn A.; Rempel, John K.; Khuc, Toan Nang; Vui, Le Thi

2017-01-01

We examined the extent to which fathers can be taught and encouraged to develop positive relationships with their children, especially in infancy, and the effects of this fathering intervention on infant development. A multifaceted relationally focused intervention was used to assist fathers in Vietnam to engage in responsive direct and indirect…

Predicting Preschoolers' Attachment Security from Fathers' Involvement, Internal Working Models, and Use of Social Support

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newland, Lisa A.; Coyl, Diana D.; Freeman, Harry

2008-01-01

Associations between preschoolers' attachment security, fathers' involvement (i.e. parenting behaviors and consistency) and fathering context (i.e. fathers' internal working models (IWMs) and use of social support) were examined in a subsample of 102 fathers, taken from a larger sample of 235 culturally diverse US families. The authors predicted…

Modeling and Compensatory Processes Underlying Involvement in Child Care among Kibbutz-Reared Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaunt, Ruth; Bassi, Liat

2012-01-01

This study examined modeling and compensatory processes underlying the effects of an early paternal model on father involvement in child care. Drawing on social learning theory, it was hypothesized that father-son relationships would moderate the association between a father's involvement and his own father's involvement. A sample of 136 kibbutz…

The Effect of Father-Absence and Inadequate Fathering on Children's Personality Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coonrod, Debbie

A variety of research studies have indicated that fathers' availability and their leadership are vital to the healthy functioning of each individual in the family. One study showed that in 48 societies fathers assume an instrumental role in family life, while in only eight societies is fathering predominately an expressive function. Occasionally,…

He Said, She Said: Comparing Mother and Father Reports of Father Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikelson, Kelly S.

2008-01-01

This study compares mother and father reports of fathers' involvement, including frequency of involvement and emotional involvement, with their child and examines demographic and social factors that predict the discrepancy in father and mother reports. Using matched pairs of parents (n = 2,058) from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing data,…

38 CFR 10.44 - Evidence required to support claim of mother or father.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... support claim of mother or father. 10.44 Section 10.44 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... support claim of mother or father. The term mother and father as referred to in the order of preference as outlined in section 601 of the Act, as amended, includes stepmothers, stepfathers, mothers and fathers...

38 CFR 10.44 - Evidence required to support claim of mother or father.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... support claim of mother or father. 10.44 Section 10.44 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT... support claim of mother or father. The term mother and father as referred to in the order of preference as outlined in section 601 of the Act, as amended, includes stepmothers, stepfathers, mothers and fathers...

Differences between Residential and Non-Residential Fathers on Sexual Socialisation of African American Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneed, Carl D.; Willis, Leigh A.

2016-01-01

This study investigated differences between residential and non-residential fathers on topics discussed during father-child sex communication and factors associated with child sexual socialisation. Young people (N = 159, 53% female) provided self-reports using computer surveys on the role of their fathers on father-child sex communication, general…

A Comparative Study of Fathers' Thoughts about Fatherhood in the USA and Japan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ito, Yoko; Izumi-Taylor, Satomi

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine American and Japanese fathers' perspectives of fathering. The participants consisted of 25 American and 25 Japanese fathers. The data came from written responses of American and Japanese fathers. Qualitative analysis of the data yielded the following three themes: family structure and its influences,…

Boot Camp for New Dads: The Importance of Infant-Father Attachment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Capuozzo, Robert M.; Sheppard, Bruce S.; Uba, Gregory

2010-01-01

Early childhood professionals know that good fathering has a profound impact on children. Research confirms that when fathers are involved in the lives of their children, positive outcomes can be expected; when fathers are not involved in their children's lives, more negative outcomes can be seen. Fathers can play an integral role as attachment…

The Relationship between Academic Stress and Two Aspects of Father Involvement among University Student Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masciadrelli, Brian P.; Milardo, Robert M.

2008-01-01

This study investigated the associations between academic stress experienced by university student fathers and the behavioral and cognitive involvement these fathers had with their children. Fifty-three fathers enrolled in university classes and residing with at least one child less than 12 years of age responded to questionnaire measures of…

Baby Elmo Leads Dads Back to the Nursery: How a Relationship-Based Intervention for Incarcerated Fathers Enhances Father and Child Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richeda, Benjamin; Smith, Kelly; Perkins, Emily; Simmons, Sydney; Cowan, Philip; Cowan, Carolyn Pape; Rodriguez, Jennifer; Shauffer, Carole

2015-01-01

Although children's contact with involved, committed, nonresidential fathers can improve social, emotional, cognitive, and academic outcomes, fathers have largely been absent from parenting interventions that overlook men's role as a critical parenting partner. This article details research showing that young incarcerated fathers' attitudes…

Aggravation and Stress in Parenting: Associations with Coparenting and Father Engagement among Resident Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Horowitz, Allison; Carrano, Jennifer

2010-01-01

This study uses a sample of 2,139 resident biological fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing surveys (baseline and 12-month follow-up), to examine whether paternal aggravation and stress in parenting is associated with father engagement and coparenting and whether this association differs by father's socioeconomic status. Results of…

Fathers Speak: The Lived Experiences of Fathers of Adolescents with Autism Regarding Transition Planning for Their Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varvisotis, Stathene

2014-01-01

This phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of fathers of adolescent sons with autism spectrum disorders as they transitioned out of school and into the postsecondary environment. Current research is lacking regarding the experiences of fathers; some researchers have described fathers as an afterthought when discussing the…

Social Support Provision: Perspective of Fathers With Preterm Infants.

PubMed

Kim, Hyung Nam

Today's social support systems for parents of preterm infants tend to pay more attention to mothers than fathers. As a father also plays a critical role in caring for a preterm infant, there is a need to advance understanding of paternal concerns and needs about social supports that should better support fathers. Interviews were conducted with 18 parents of preterm infants (i.e., 10 mothers and 8 fathers) who have been discharged from the NICU to home. All interviews were audio-recorded and subsequently transcribed verbatim for analysis. The fathers' primary resources are healthcare professionals, their partners, and peer fathers of preterm infants. The fathers expressed various social support needs associated with informational, belonging, and emotional supports. It is recommended that a social support system be customized accordingly to better accommodate paternal needs. Healthcare professionals may refer to the study results in designing the educational materials for fathers of preterm infants. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fathers of children with disabilities: stress and life satisfaction.

PubMed

Darling, Carol A; Senatore, Natalie; Strachan, John

2012-10-01

As the role of fathers within families continues to evolve, understanding how these changes impact life satisfaction is needed. This is especially relevant for fathers who have children with disabilities; therefore, this study sought to understand the group differences between fathers of children with and without disabilities. A survey design was used that involved 85 fathers of children with disabilities and 121 fathers of children without disabilities. Analyses indicated that fathers of children with disabilities experienced greater stress in daily parenting hassles, family life events and changes, parenting stress and health stress. In comparison, fathers with children who did not have disabilities had a higher level of coping and greater satisfaction with life. A path-analysis model based on family stress theory indicated that whether or not fathers had children who were disabled was a major contributor to life satisfaction followed by parenting stress and stress from family life events and changes. These findings provide implications for future research and practice. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mothers' experience of fathers' support for breast-feeding.

PubMed

Nickerson, Lauren E; Sykes, Abby C; Fung, Teresa T

2012-09-01

To examine mothers' experience of support received from fathers for breast-feeding. We conducted in-depth in-person interviews with women with recent breast-feeding experience. Interview transcripts were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Interviews were designed to explore the mothers' perception of role of fathers in breast-feeding, education on breast-feeding that fathers received and their perception of the fathers' view on breast-feeding. Urban and suburban community. Nineteen women from a metropolitan area in the north-eastern USA. Ten themes emerged, these involved practical and emotional support provided by fathers, especially during times of unexpected breast-feeding challenges. In addition, mothers perceived fathers may benefit from more peer and professional support, lactation consultant service and breast-feeding education. Mothers appreciated the support from fathers for breast-feeding continuation, including encouragement and understanding. These results may be useful for health-care practitioners to promote breast-feeding continuation by supporting fathers in their role in the breast-feeding process.

When Fathering Fails: Violence, Narcissism, and the Father Function in Ancient Tales and Clinical Analysis.

PubMed

Diamond, Michael J

2018-02-01

Manifestations of failures in both symbolic and actual flesh-and-blood fathering reveal the inescapable role played by the father's unconscious transmissions in the ever present triadic matrix. Perelberg's crucial distinction between the murdered narcissistic father and the dead symbolic father suggests the problematic internalizations that fail to uphold the paternal law required for oedipal resolution. Three father-child narratives derived from classical literature and mythology are presented in order to elucidate significant unconscious paternal fantasies pertaining to lethal rivalry and neglect of the child's otherness. These narratives suggest how the father's insufficient management of rivalrous, envious, and murderously aggressive impulses-as well as narcissistic needs that fail to take into account the child's alterity-combine with the child's intrapsychic propensities to constrict triangular space and restrict development. Consequently, unavoidable father-child rivalries, absences, neglect, and desires often make it vital to recover the "missing" paternal function in analytic space. A clinical example illustrates the impact of this absence on the analyst's countertransference.

Fathers' involvement in preschool programs for children with and without hearing loss.

PubMed

Ingber, Sara; Most, Tova

2012-01-01

The authors compared the involvement in children's development and education of 38 fathers of preschoolers with hearing loss to the involvement of a matched group of 36 fathers of preschoolers with normal hearing, examining correlations between child, father, and family characteristics. Fathers completed self-reports regarding their parental involvement and parenting self-efficacy and reported on their family cohesion and adaptability. Mothers also reported on their husbands' involvement. Similarly high levels of involvement on the part of both groups of fathers were found. Involvement correlated positively with fathers' self-reported parenting self-efficacy, family cohesion, and adaptability, and mother-reported paternal involvement. Implications for professionals and mothers are discussed, including the need to encourage mothers' support for their husbands' involvement and to empower fathers' sense of competency in order to increase their involvement.

MOTHER-CHILD AND FATHER-CHILD PLAY INTERACTION: THE IMPORTANCE OF PARENTAL PLAYFULNESS AS A MODERATOR OF THE LINKS BETWEEN PARENTAL BEHAVIOR AND CHILD NEGATIVITY.

PubMed

Menashe-Grinberg, Atara; Atzaba-Poria, Naama

2017-11-01

Based on the premise that father-child play is an important context for children's development and that fathers "specialize" in play, similarities and differences in the role of playfulness in the father-child and mother-child relationship were examined. Participants in this study included 111 families (children's age: 1-3 years). Father-child and mother-child play interactions were videotaped and coded for parental playfulness, sensitivity, structuring, and nonintrusiveness as well as child negativity. Results indicated that mothers and fathers did not differ in playfulness and that mothers and fathers who were higher in playfulness had children with lower levels of negativity. However, playfulness differently moderated the links between parents' and children's behaviors for mothers and fathers. A double-risk pattern was found for mothers, such that the links between child negativity and maternal sensitivity, structuring, and nonintrusiveness were significant only for the subgroup of mothers with low levels of playfulness. When mothers had high levels of playfulness, these effects were negligible. For fathers, a double-buffer pattern was revealed, indicating that the links between child negativity and paternal sensitivity and structuring were significant only for fathers with high levels of playfulness. When fathers had low levels of playfulness, these effects were negligible. These findings demonstrate the important role that parental playfulness has on parent-child interaction as well as the need to examine moderation patterns separately for fathers and mothers. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Fathers see stronger family resemblances than non-fathers in unrelated children's faces.

PubMed

Bressan, Paola; Dal Pos, Stefania

2012-12-01

Even after they have taken all reasonable measures to decrease the probability that their spouses cheat on them, men still face paternal uncertainty. Such uncertainty can lead to paternal disinvestment, which reduces the children's probability to survive and reproduce, and thus the reproductive success of the fathers themselves. A theoretical model shows that, other things being equal, men who feel confident that they have fathered their spouses' offspring tend to enjoy greater fitness (i.e., leave a larger number of surviving progeny) than men who do not. This implies that fathers should benefit from exaggerating paternal resemblance. We argue that the self-deceiving component of this bias could be concealed by generalizing this resemblance estimation boost to (1) family pairs other than father-child and (2) strangers. Here, we tested the prediction that fathers may see, in unrelated children's faces, stronger family resemblances than non-fathers. In Study 1, 70 men and 70 women estimated facial resemblances between children paired, at three different ages (as infants, children, and adolescents), either to themselves or to their parents. In Study 2, 70 men and 70 women guessed the true parents of the same children among a set of adults. Men who were fathers reported stronger similarities between faces than non-fathers, mothers, and non-mothers did, but were no better at identifying childrens' real parents. We suggest that, in fathers, processing of facial resemblances is biased in a manner that reflects their (adaptive) wishful thinking that fathers and children are related.

Fathers and the well-child visit.

PubMed

Garfield, Craig F; Isacco, Anthony

2006-04-01

Societal and economic shifts have expanded the roles that fathers play in their families. Father involvement is associated with positive cognitive, developmental, and sociobehavioral child outcomes such as improved weight gain in preterm infants, improved breastfeeding rates, higher receptive language skills, and higher academic achievement. However, father involvement in health care has been studied little, especially among nonmarried, minority fathers. Fathers are a significant part of the child's medical home, and comprehensive involvement of both parents is ideal for the child's well-being and health. Well-child visits (WCVs) represent opportunities for fathers to increase their involvement in their child's health care while learning valuable information about the health and development of their child. The objective of this study was to explore fathers' involvement in, experience and satisfaction with, and barriers to WCVs using qualitative methods. In-depth, semistructured, qualitative interviews were conducted in 2 cities with a subsample of fathers who were participating in the national Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The 32 fathers who participated in our study come from a nested qualitative study called Time, Love, and Cash in Couples with Children. Fathers in our study reside in Chicago or Milwaukee and were interviewed about health care issues for 1.5 hours when the focal child was 3 years of age. Questions focused on the father's overall involvement in his child's health care, the father's attendance and experiences at the doctor, health care decision-making between mother and father, assessment of focal child's health, gender/normative roles, and the father's health. The open-ended questions were designed to allow detailed accounts and personal stories as told by the fathers. Coding and analysis were done using content analysis to identify themes. Particular themes that were used for this study focused on ideals of father involvement and dis/satisfaction, barriers to, and experiences in the health care system. Of the 50 fathers from the Time, Love, and Cash in Couples with Children study in the 2 cities, 3 had moved out of the state, 6 were in jail, 7 had been lost in earlier follow-up, and 1 had died, leaving 33 eligible respondents. Of those, 1 refused to participate, resulting in a final sample of 32 fathers and an adjusted response rate of 97%. The mean age was 31 years, and the sample was 56% black, 28% Hispanic, and 15% white; 53% were nonmarried. Only 2 fathers had attained a college degree or higher, and 84% of the fathers were employed at the time of the interview. The majority (53%) had attended a WCV and 84% had been to see a doctor with their child in the past year. Reasons for attending a WCV included (1) to gather information about their child, (2) to support their child, (3) to ask questions and express concerns, and (4) to gain firsthand experience of the doctor and the WCV. Fathers reported positive and negative experiences in their encounters with the health care system. The 3 main contributors to fathers' satisfaction with health care professionals were (1) inclusive interactions with the physician, (2) the perception of receiving quality care, and (3) receiving clear explanations. The negative experiences were often specific instances and noted along with positive comments. The negative experiences that were mentioned by the fathers included feeling viewed suspiciously by health care staff, being perceived as having a lesser emotional bond with their child than the mother, and the perception that they were receiving a lower quality of service compared with the mother. Major barriers to attending WCVs include employment schedules as well as their relationship with the focal child's mother. For example, some fathers stated that they did not attend WCVs because that was a responsibility that the mother assumed within the family. Other fathers lacked confidence in their parenting skills, which resulted in lower involvement levels. Also mentioned were health care system barriers such as inconvenient office hours and a lack of access to their child's records. Despite the presence of several barriers that seem to prevent fathers from attending WCVs, many fathers (20 of 32;63%) mentioned "situational flexibility," which enables them to overcome the stated barriers and attend doctor visits. For example, some fathers viewed the seriousness of the visit such as "ear surgery" as a reason to rearrange their schedules and attend a doctor visit with their child. The majority of fathers from our sample have attended a WCV, and most have been to their child's doctor in the past year; WCVs and doctor appointments are ways in which fathers are involved in their child's health care. Fathers detailed specific reasons for why they attend WCVs, such as to support their child, ask questions, express concerns, and gather information firsthand. The fathers reported more positive than negative experiences with the health care staff, and, overall, they are satisfied with their experiences with the health care system. Reasons for satisfaction include feeling as though their questions had been dealt with seriously and answered appropriately. However, the fathers in our study did report a variety of barriers to health care involvement, including conflicting work schedules, a lack of confidence in their parental role, and health care system barriers. Professionals who care for children and families need to explore creative ways to engage fathers in the structured health care of their children. For example, pediatricians can stress the benefits of both parents being involved in their child's health care while reframing the importance of WCVs. Understanding that many fathers have situational flexibility when it comes to health care encounters may encourage physicians to suggest more actively that fathers attend WCVs. Pediatricians can also support existing public policies such as the national 2003 Responsible Fatherhood Act that provides grants and programs that promote the father's role in the family and advocate for additional policies that would foster quality father involvement. Continued collaboration among families, physicians, and other health care professionals is essential to support father involvement and ensure positive health outcomes for children.

Fathers Online: Learning About Fatherhood Through the Internet

PubMed Central

StGeorge, Jennifer M.; Fletcher, Richard J.

2011-01-01

In the transition to fatherhood, men face numerous challenges. Opportunities to learn new practices and gain support are limited, although the provisions of father-specific spaces such as fathers’ antenatal classes or “responsible fathering” programs are important advances. This article explores how men use the social space of a father-specific Internet chat room to learn about fathering. Messages to an Australian-hosted, father-specific chat room (for fathers of infants or young children) were examined, and three overlapping themes illustrated men’s perceptions of their transition to fatherhood. The themes concerned recognition of and response to a lack of social space, services, and support for new fathers. The implications for fathers’ perinatal education are discussed. PMID:22654464

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Thailand.

PubMed

Tapanya, Sombat

2011-07-01

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined similarities and differences between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions and attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 88 Thai families. RESULTS: Mothers and fathers did not differ in mean levels of attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations or in authoritarian or progressive attitudes. Mothers' and fathers' perceived control over failure, authoritarian attitudes, progressive attitudes, and modernity of attitudes were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: This work suggests high similarities between Thai mothers and fathers in their attributions and attitudes related to parenting.

Associations among Head Start Fathers' Involvement with Their Preschoolers and Child Language Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Jay; Iglesias, Aquiles; Kaufman, Rebecca

2016-01-01

This study examined the associations among child language competence during father-child play interactions, fathers' time spent volunteering in their preschool-age child's Head Start classroom over the course of one school year, amount of father play and reading to the child at home, and fathers' positive control during play. The sample of 68…

Support Needs of Fathers of Children with ASD: Individual, Family, Community and Ideological Influences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shave, Kassi; Lashewicz, Bonnie

2016-01-01

Introduction: Fathers are increasingly involved in caring for children, and involvement by fathers of children with ASD is distinctly impacted by added demands of their child's diagnosis. Yet supports for families of children with ASD are not tailored to needs of fathers. We use an ecological framework to examine how fathers' needs are influenced…

Gay fathers: evolution of the gay-father identity.

PubMed

Bozett, Frederick W

1981-07-01

Interview data from an exploratory study of 18 gay fathers indicate that identity congruence evolves over time as these men participate in both the world of fathers and the world of gays. Disclosure of each identity in the opposite world, and the acceptance of both identities by intimate others, are also crucial to the gay father's achievement of self-acceptance.

Differences in Sexual Attitudes and Likeliness of Sexual Behaviors of Black Lower-Socioeconomic Father-Present vs. Father-Absent Female Adolescents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eberhardt, Carolyn A.; Schill, Thomas

1984-01-01

Compared sexual permissiveness attitudes and likely behaviors of father-absent vs. father-present Black, lower-socioeconomic female adolescents (N=100). Father-absent subjects were not found to be more sexually permissive, but had significantly greater inconsistency between behavioral and attitudinal scores in which the reported behavior was more…

Giving Fathers a Voice: Towards Father Involvement in Early Years Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ihmeideh, Fathi Mahmoud

2014-01-01

It has been widely recognised that fathers can play a key role in the development and well-being of young children. In many cases, however, fathers still have limited involvement in the early years education of their children and their voices are as yet unheard. This study examined the beliefs and practices of Jordanian fathers of kindergarten…

Do Coparenting and Social Support Have a Greater Effect on Adolescent Fathers than Adult Fathers?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Jay; Lee, Yookyong

2011-01-01

This study examined whether coparenting support and social support had a stronger effect on father engagement with 3-year-olds among adolescent fathers compared with adult fathers. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 1,540), we found that coparenting support and paternal social support had a significantly stronger…

Father Enrollment and Participation in a Parenting Intervention: Personal and Contextual Predictors

PubMed Central

Wong, Jessie J.; Roubinov, Danielle S.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Dumka, Larry E.; Millsap, Roger E.

2018-01-01

Fathers are an important, though often underrepresented, population in family interventions. Notably, the inclusion of ethnic minority fathers is particularly scarce. An understanding of factors that promote and hinder father participation may suggest strategies by which to increase fathers’ presence in studies designed to engage the family unit. The current research examined Mexican origin (MO) fathers’ involvement in a family-focused intervention study. Participants included 495 fathers from eligible two-parent MO families with an adolescent child. Individual, familial, and culturally-relevant predictors based on father, mother, and/or child report data were collected through pretest interviews and included in two separate logistic regression analyses that predicted: 1) father enrollment in the study and 2) father participation in the intervention. Results indicated that higher levels of maternal education and lower levels of economic stress and interparental conflict were associated with increased father enrollment in the study. Rates of father participation in the intervention were higher among families characterized by lower levels of interparental conflict, economic stress, and Spanish language use. Results highlight the relevancy of the familial and environmental context to MO fathers’ research participation decisions. These findings as well as their implications for future research and practice are discussed. PMID:24033241

[Involvement of Turkish Immigrant Fathers Elevates Children's Well-Being].

PubMed

Leyendecker, Birgit; Agache, Alexandru

2016-01-01

This study examined paternal involvement in parenting, the association between parents' perception of mutual support, and the relation to their children's well-being before (t1) and after the transition to first grade (t2). Participants were first and second generation immigrant families from Turkey (n = 134). In addition, German families (n = 45) were included for the comparison of paternal involvement. The percentage of highly involved fathers was higher in the German sub-sample (54 %) than in the Turkish sub-sample (38 %), but we found no influence of parents' education, household income, employment status, or children's gender. First generation fathers were more likely to be highly involved than second generation fathers. Analyses of the longitudinal data revealed that mothers with highly involved fathers were more likely to report higher marital support. This pattern was less clear for fathers. Children with highly involved fathers reported significantly higher well-being at t1. For t2, a moderator analysis revealed a positive effect on children's well-being only for those fathers who were both highly involved and reported the highest fathering self-efficacy. Among other variables, we controlled for children's well-being at t1, their health status, fathers' work hours and mothers' marital satisfaction.

Meeting the challenge of new fatherhood during the early weeks.

PubMed

St John, Winsome; Cameron, Catherine; McVeigh, Carol

2005-01-01

To explore new/subsequent Australian fathers' perspectives on the experiences, processes, and life changes in the early weeks of fatherhood. Interpretive study using in-depth interviews and grounded theory analysis techniques, based on a symbolic interactionist framework. Participants were recruited from the postnatal wards of a major public hospital, early discharge program, and early childhood centers in southeast Queensland, Australia. Eighteen first-time/subsequent fathers interviewed 6 to 12 weeks after the birth. Although rewarding, fathers found new or expanding fatherhood to be a significant challenge and time of change. Major themes included making a commitment, taking responsibility, negotiating responsibilities, developing and maintaining relationships, maintaining family integrity, balancing activities, and perceiving the self as father. Work had a major impact on fathers' ability to participate with their family and newborn. To manage, fathers sought to balance the demands of work and home, deal with stressors, manage their time, develop routines, and reprioritize. Fathers developed a sense of themselves as fathers over time, building confidence and deriving satisfaction from their fathering role. A range of competing factors affected fathers' ability to participate in the home with their newborn in the early weeks after birth.

Fathers' feelings related to their partners' childbirth and views on their presence during labour and childbirth: A descriptive quantitative study.

PubMed

He, Hong-Gu; Vehviläinen-Julkunen, Katri; Qian, Xiao-Fang; Sapountzi-Krepia, Despina; Gong, Yuhua; Wang, Wenru

2015-05-01

This study examined Chinese fathers' feelings about their partners' delivery and views on their presence during labour and birth. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 403 fathers whose partners gave birth in one provincial hospital in China. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, χ(2)-test and content analysis. The results indicated that more than 80% of fathers experienced feelings of pride related to fatherhood and of love towards their partners and newborns. Significant differences in fathers' feelings were found between subgroups with regard to age, education, employment, presence in the delivery room, method of birth and whether preparatory visits had been made to the hospital. The majority who answered an open-ended question on the meaning of fathers' presence in the delivery room held a positive attitude towards fathers' presence at labour and birth, as their presence could empower their partners and provide psychological support. This study indicates fathers' presence at delivery and birth is important and that younger fathers need more support. It also provides evidence for clinical practice and future interventions to improve fathers' psychological health and experiences. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Using video feedback to improve early father-infant interaction: a pilot study.

PubMed

Lawrence, Peter J; Davies, Beverley; Ramchandani, Paul G

2013-01-01

Preventive interventions with parents of infants have tended to focus on mothers. Recent research focused on fathers suggests that their involvement in interventions might enhance effectiveness. One effective approach with mothers is the brief, home-based Video-feedback Intervention to promote Positive Parenting (VIPP). This paper is a report of a pilot study of VIPP with fathers to assess its feasibility. Five fathers were recruited from an existing longitudinal study of parents. The primary outcome was acceptability, assessed using a semi-structured questionnaire after completion of the intervention. All fathers completed all sessions of the intervention. Fathers rated the intervention as having had a significant impact on their understanding of their child's thoughts and feelings, and as having improved their communication and relationship with their baby. Fathers' feedback was generally positive. The flexibility to conduct sessions at home (or at fathers' places of work) and the flexible timing of sessions were identified as fundamental to successful delivery. The results of this pilot study are encouraging, as VIPP with fathers was feasible. In light of the modest sample size, and the use of a non-clinical sample, the intervention must be evaluated with larger, clinical samples to evaluate its efficacy with fathers.

Swedish fathers contemplate the difficulties they face in parenthood.

PubMed

Johansson, Margareta; Thomas, Jan; Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Haines, Helen

2016-06-01

The aim was to explore what concerns Swedish fathers had about parenting difficulties at two months after the birth of their baby. Self-report questionnaires were used and data were analyzed with mixed methods. Thirty percent of the 827 fathers reported concerns about the difficulties of parenthood. The theme 'Managing the demands of being a father' emerged and was based on concerns about how to raise the baby, having enough money, health issues, lack of time and finding balance in the new family pattern. Financial worries, feeling less positive about expecting a baby, and self-reported poor emotional health were related to fathers who perceived parenthood as difficult. Experienced fathers as well as new fathers expressed similar concerns about parenthood. Preparation classes for reassurance and skills coaching about child raising may provide important support for fathers. This is especially important for fathers who may have poor emotional health or who may not be feeling positive about expecting a baby. Policy-makers and health care providers should recognize that offering support for all fathers benefits not only men, but also their children, and their partners and can help encourage egalitarian practices at home and work. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dining with dad: Fathers' influences on family food practices.

PubMed

Fielding-Singh, Priya

2017-10-01

Scholars have documented multiple influences on family food practices. This article examines an overlooked contributor to family diet: fathers. Using 109 in-depth interviews with middle and upper-middle class mothers, adolescents, and fathers in the United States, I show how fathers can undermine mothers' efforts to provision a healthy diet. While family members perceive mothers as committed to provisioning a healthy diet, many fathers are seen as, at best, detached and, at worst, a threat to mothers' dietary aspirations. Fathers not only do little foodwork; they are also viewed as less concerned about their own and other family members' dietary health. When tasked with feeding, many fathers often turn to quick, unhealthy options explicitly avoided by mothers. Mothers report efforts to limit fathers' involvement in foodwork to ensure the healthiness of adolescents' diets, with variation across families by mothers' employment status. Fathers' dietary approaches reflect and reinforce traditional gender norms and expectations within families. In highlighting how and why fathers can undermine mothers' efforts to provision a healthy diet, this study deepens our understanding of the myriad dynamics shaping family food practices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Delivering services to incarcerated teen fathers: a pilot intervention to increase the quality of father-infant interactions during visitation.

PubMed

Barr, Rachel; Morin, Marisa; Brito, Natalie; Richeda, Benjamin; Rodriguez, Jennifer; Shauffer, Carole

2014-02-01

The absence of a father figure has been linked to very poor developmental outcomes for the child. During incarceration, there are limited opportunities for visitation between fathers and their children. The Baby Elmo Program provides incarcerated teen fathers with parenting training and visitation with their children with the stated goal of enhancing father-child interactional quality. Forty-one incarcerated teen fathers and their infants ranging from 1 to 15 months of age participated in the present study. During individual sessions, a trained facilitator prepared fathers for visits with their children by introducing key concepts such as following the child's lead, using developmentally appropriate media to illustrate those concepts. After each training session, the incarcerated teen father interacted with his infant and the visit was video recorded. Analysis of the visit sessions focused on father's time use on different activities, the quality of father-infant interactions, and father's integration of target skills introduced in the intervention. The time-use analysis revealed that time use changed as a function of infant age. Growth linear modeling indicated that there were significant positive increases in the amount of parent support and infant engagement as a function of the number of sessions. Follow-up analyses indicated that changes between specific sessions mapped onto the target skills discussed during specific training sessions. This study's preliminary findings suggest that an intervention integrating visitation and appropriate media may be effective for incarcerated teen fathers. Due to the lack of a randomized control group, the present findings are exploratory and are discussed with a focus on further program development. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

The influence of fathers on children's physical activity: A review of the literature from 2009 to 2015.

PubMed

Neshteruk, Cody D; Nezami, Brooke T; Nino-Tapias, Gianna; Davison, Kirsten K; Ward, Dianne S

2017-09-01

Parents are influential in promoting children's physical activity. Yet, most research has focused on how mothers influence children's activity, while little empirical attention has been devoted to understanding how fathers may influence children's activity. The purpose of this review was to summarize observational studies from 2009 to 2015 examining the influence of fathers on children's physical activity. A publicly available database, from a prior systematic review, containing information on 667 studies of parenting and childhood obesity from 2009 to 2015 was searched for potential studies. Studies were eligible if: 1) fathers were included as participants, 2) results were presented for fathers separate from mothers, 3) fathers' physical activity or physical activity parenting was assessed, and 4) child physical activity was measured. Ten studies met eligibility criteria. All studies were rated as fair quality. The majority of studies (n=8) assessed the relationship between father and child physical activity. Of 27 associations tested, 14 (52%) were significant, indicating a modest, positive relationship between father and child activity. Of the studies examining fathers' physical activity parenting (n=3), there were three significant associations out of 15 tested (20%) and no consistency among measured constructs. No differences were observed in the influence of mothers vs. fathers on children's physical activity. Limited evidence was available to examine moderating effects of child sex or age. Few studies have examined the effect of fathers on child physical activity and this relationship remains unclear. Future studies should target fathers for research and investigate specific pathways through which fathers can influence child activity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fathers' postnatal distress, parenting self-efficacy, later parenting behavior, and children's emotional-behavioral functioning: A longitudinal study.

PubMed

Rominov, Holly; Giallo, Rebecca; Whelan, Thomas A

2016-12-01

Fathers' postnatal distress has been associated with subsequent emotional and behavioral problems for children; however, the mechanisms by which this occurs have received less attention. One potential pathway could be via the negative effects that father mental health problems and parenting self-efficacy (PSE) in the postnatal period have on later parenting behaviors. Using a nationally representative cohort of Australian father-child dyads (N = 3,741), the long-term relationships between fathers' psychological distress and PSE in the postnatal period, parenting behavior when children were aged 4-5 years, and emotional-behavioral outcomes for children aged 8-9 years were explored. Path analysis indicated that high distress and low PSE in the postnatal period was associated with higher levels of hostile parenting and lower parenting consistency when children were aged 4-5 years; in turn, these were associated with poorer child outcomes at 8-9 years. These results remained significant after controlling for socioeconomic position, couple relationship quality, mothers' and fathers' mental health, and fathers' concurrent parenting behavior. The pathways among PSE, parenting hostility, parenting consistency, and children's outcomes at age 8-9 years differed for fathers of boys compared with fathers of girls. Results highlight the importance of father-inclusive assessments of postnatal mental health. Support programs targeting new fathers' perceptions of parenting competence may be particularly important for fathers experiencing postnatal distress. For fathers, building a stronger sense of parenting competence in the postnatal period is important for later parenting behavior, which relates to children's emotional and behavioral outcomes during middle childhood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Fathers' Representation in Observational Studies on Parenting and Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Content Analysis.

PubMed

Davison, Kirsten K; Gicevic, Selma; Aftosmes-Tobio, Alyssa; Ganter, Claudia; Simon, Christine L; Newlan, Sami; Manganello, Jennifer A

2016-11-01

The involvement of fathers in caregiving has increased substantially over the past 30 years. Yet in child and adolescent psychopathology, few studies include fathers as research participants and few present results for fathers separate from those for mothers. We test for the first time whether a similar pattern exists in research on parenting and childhood obesity. To conduct a systematic review and quantitative content analysis of observational studies on parenting and childhood obesity to (1) document the inclusion of fathers, relative to mothers, as research participants and (2) examine characteristics of studies that did and did not include fathers. This study presents new data on the number and gender of parent research participants. We searched title, abstract, and Medical Subject Headings term fields in 5 research databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) using terms combining parents or parenting (e.g., mother, father, caregiver, parenting style, food parenting) and obesity (e.g., obesity, body weight, overweight) or obesity-related lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet, snacking, physical activity, outdoor play, exercise, media use). We identified and screened studies as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) published between January 2009 and December 2015, examining links between parenting and childhood obesity, including parents or caregivers as research participants, and written in English. We excluded interventions, nonhuman studies, dissertations, conference abstracts, and studies on youths with specific medical conditions. Of 5557 unique studies, 667 studies were eligible. For each of the 667 studies, 4 coders were trained to code characteristics of the study (e.g., publication year, geographic region, journal, study focus) and parent research participants (e.g., parent gender, demographic background, biological relationship with child, and residential status). We established intercoder reliability before coding the full sample of studies (mean Krippendorf's alpha = .79; average percentage agreement = 94%). Of the studies, 1% included only fathers. By contrast, 36% included only mothers. Although slightly more than 50% of studies (n = 347) included at least 1 father, only 57 studies reported results for fathers separate from those for mothers. When we combined them with studies including only fathers, 10% of studies overall reported results for fathers. Samples sizes of fathers were small compared with mothers. Of studies with fathers, 59% included 50 or fewer fathers, whereas 22% of studies with mothers included 50 or fewer mothers. The mean sample size for fathers across all eligible studies was 139, compared with 672 for mothers. Overall, fathers represented 17% of parent participants across all eligible studies. This study unequivocally demonstrates that fathers are underrepresented in recent observational research on parenting and childhood obesity. Public health implications. The underrepresentation of fathers in obesity research compromises the development of effective family interventions for childhood obesity prevention. Targeted opportunities and incentives are needed to support research with fathers.

Father absence and reproduction-related outcomes in Malaysia, a transitional fertility population.

PubMed

Sheppard, Paula; Snopkowski, Kristin; Sear, Rebecca

2014-06-01

Father absence is consistently associated with children's reproductive outcomes in industrialized countries. It has been suggested that father absence acts as a cue to particular environmental conditions that influence life history strategies. Much less is known, however, about the effects of father absence on such outcomes in lower-income countries. Using data from the 1988 Malaysian Family Life Survey (n = 567), we tested the effect of father absence on daughters' age at menarche, first marriage, and first birth; parity progression rates; and desired completed family size in Malaysia, a country undergoing an economic and fertility transition. Father absence during later childhood (ages 8 to 15), although not during earlier childhood, was associated with earlier progressions to first marriage and first birth, after controlling for other confounders. Father absence does not affect age at menarche, desired family size, or progression from first to second birth. The patterns found in this transitional population partly mirror those in developed societies, where father absence accelerates reproductive events. There is, however, a notable contrast between the acceleration in menarche for father-absent girls consistently found in developed societies and the lack of any association in our findings. The mechanisms through which father absence affects reproduction may differ in different ecological contexts. In lower-income contexts, direct paternal investment or influence may be of more importance in determining reproductive behavior than whether fathers act as a cue to environmental conditions.

Openness and avoidance--a longitudinal study of fathers of children with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Boström, P K; Broberg, M

2014-09-01

Fathers' interactions with children who have intellectual disabilities (ID) or developmental delays (DD) have increased over the past few decades and may be expected to continue to increase as maternal and paternal roles, along with other gender roles, become more equal. The aim of the present study was to explore fathers' experiences of parenthood in relation to a child with ID/DD from the initial discovery of the disability to 5 years later. Fathers' experiences of parenting children with ID/DD were explored in a longitudinal framework. Seven Swedish fathers of young children with ID/DD participated in a series of semi-structured interviews from 2005 to 2010, and their accounts were subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. The analysis revealed three themes: (1) An interrupted path - no longer taking things for granted, which describes the fathers' reactions to their children's diagnosis; (2) Being a good father, which describes the fathers' overall perceptions of their parenting of a child with ID/DD; and (3) Dealing with the unexpected, which describes fathers' individual ways of integrating, managing, and living with the knowledge of their child's disability over the 5 years during which fathers were interviewed. Fathers' individual paths need to be taken into consideration when offering psychological support to families of children with ID/DD. © 2013 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adulthood depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms: a comparison of women with nonabusive, abusive, and absent father figures in childhood.

PubMed

Downs, William R; Rindels, Barb

2004-12-01

We collected data from 447 women (aged 18 or higher) from seven domestic violence programs and five substance use disorder treatment programs in a midwestern state. Women who reported a nonabusive natural/adoptive father or stepfather (N=185), abusive natural/adoptive father or stepfather (N=200), or absent father figure (N=40) were compared on a series of mental health measures with multivariate analysis of variance and pairwise post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni test. Women with absent father figures were found to have significantly lower mean scores on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and Trauma Symptom Checklist-40 (TSC-40) than women with abusive fathers. There were no significant differences between women with absent father figures and women with nonabusive father figures on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, and TSC-40. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.

Psychological Well-being in Fathers of Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Autism.

PubMed

Hartley, Sigan L; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Head, Lara; Abbeduto, Leonard

2012-04-01

The psychological well-being of fathers of children with developmental disabilities remains poorly understood. The present study examined depressive symptoms, pessimism, and coping in fathers of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS; n = 59), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs; n = 135), and fragile X syndrome (FXS; n = 46) Fathers of sons/daughters with ASDs reported a higher level of depressive symptoms than the other groups of fathers. Fathers of sons/daughters with DS reported a lower level of pessimism than the other groups of fathers. There were no group differences in paternal coping style. Group differences in paternal depressive symptoms and pessimism were, in part, related to differences in paternal age, the child's behavior problems, risk of having additional children with a disability, and maternal depressive symptoms. Findings from this study can be used to educate providers and design services for fathers during the later parenting years.

Working at the Weekend: Fathers’ Time with Family in the United Kingdom

PubMed Central

Hook, Jennifer L.

2012-01-01

Whereas most resident fathers are able to spend more time with their children on weekends than on weekdays, many fathers work on the weekends spending less time with their children on these days. There are conflicting findings about whether fathers are able to make up for lost weekend time on weekdays. Using unique features of the United Kingdom’s National Survey of Time Use 2000 (UKTUS) I examine the impact of fathers’ weekend work on the time fathers spend with their children, family, and partners (N = 595 fathers). I find that weekend work is common among fathers and is associated with less time with children, families, and partners. Fathers do not recover lost time with children on weekdays, largely because weekend work is a symptom of overwork. Findings also reveal that even if fathers had compensatory time, they are unlikely to recover lost time spent as a family or couple. PMID:22844157

Co-Identity with Son Is Core Component in Father's Development: Same-Gendered Father/Son Relationships Foster Relational Development in Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson-Phillips, Carol

2017-01-01

What is the crucible of a father's relationally transformative growth in connection with his sons? In this article, the author first contextualizes relational theory, and then explores the idea that co-identity with a son provides the mortar and pestle for a father's development in same-gendered relationships. In connection with his son, a father…

Building Blocks for Father Involvement: Building Block 1--Appreciating How Fathers Give Children a Head Start

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

US Department of Health and Human Services, Head Start Bureau, 2004

2004-01-01

Nearly 30 years ago, leading child psychologist Michael E. Lamb reminded us that fathers are the "forgotten contributors to child development." Since then, much work has been done to explore the ways fathers uniquely contribute to the healthy development of their children. Scholars now know that boys and girls who grow up with an involved father,…

Perceptions of Father Involvement among Turkish Fathers with Pre-School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biber, Kazim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to compare father involvement among fathers with children in pre-school in terms of their status of having only one or more than one child. The study sample consisted of fathers of 3-5 year-old children who were enrolled in pre-schools in the district of Altieylül, Balikesir. Data pertaining to the involvement of…

Skin-to-skin contact by fathers and the impact on infant and paternal outcomes: an integrative review.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; He, Hong-Gu; Morelius, Evalotte

2016-09-01

to summarise research evidence on the impact of father-infant skin-to-skin contact on infant and paternal outcomes. an integrative literature review. PubMed, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health. studies included were: (1) published in English between January 1995 to September 2015; (2) primary researches; and (3) focused on fathers providing skin-to-skin contact with their infants and its impact on infant and paternal outcomes. The Joanna Briggs Institute's Critical Appraisal Checklists were used to appraise the scientific rigour of the studies. twelve studies (10 quantitative and two qualitative) were included in this review. Father-infant skin-to-skin contact had positive impacts on infants' outcomes, including temperature and pain, bio-physiological markers, behavioural response, as well as paternal outcomes, which include parental role attainment, paternal interaction behaviour, and paternal stress and anxiety. a father's involvement in providing skin-to-skin contact seems to be feasible and beneficial to both infants and fathers. However, there has been a scarcity of literature that exclusively examines fathers' involvement and perceptions related to skin-to-skin contact in the postpartum period. Future research should examine skin-to-skin contact by fathers and its associated benefits, as well as fathers' perceptions on father-infant SSC among varied populations. a father's involvement in providing skin-to-skin contact should be promoted during the postnatal period. Father-infant skin-to-skin contact is a valuable alternative, especially during the unavailability of mothers due to special circumstances, including medical emergencies and caesarean section. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Residential Father-Child Involvement, Interparental Conflict and Mental Health of Children Following Divorce: A Person-Focused Approach.

PubMed

Elam, Kit K; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2016-03-01

Variable-centered research has found complex relationships between child well-being and two critical aspects of the post-divorce family environment: the level of non-residential father involvement (i.e., contact and supportive relationship) with their children and the level of conflict between the father and mother. However, these analyses fail to capture individual differences based on distinct patterns of interparental conflict, father support and father contact. Using a person-centered latent profile analysis, the present study examined (1) profiles of non-residential father contact, support, and interparental conflict in the 2 years following divorce (N = 240), when children (49 % female) were between 9 and 12 years of age and (2) differences across profiles in concurrent child adjustment outcomes as well as outcomes 6 years later. Four profiles of father involvement were identified: High Contact-Moderate Conflict-Moderate Support, Low Contact-Moderate Conflict-Low Support, High Conflict-Moderate Contact-Moderate Support, and Low Conflict-Moderate Contact-Moderate Support. Concurrently, children with fathers in the group with high conflict were found to have significantly greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to all other groups. Six years later, children with fathers in the group with low contact and low support were found to have greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the high conflict group, and also greater internalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the low conflict group. These results provide insight into the complex relationship among non-residential fathers' conflict, contact, and support in child adjustment within divorcing families.

Paid Family Leave, Fathers' Leave-Taking, and Leave-Sharing in Dual-Earner Households.

PubMed

Bartel, Anne P; Rossin-Slater, Maya; Ruhm, Christopher J; Stearns, Jenna; Waldfogel, Jane

Using difference-in-difference and difference-in-difference-in-difference designs, we study California's Paid Family Leave (CA-PFL) program, the first source of government-provided paid parental leave available to fathers in the Unites States. Relative to the pre-treatment mean, fathers of infants in California are 46 percent more likely to be on leave when CA-PFL is available. In households where both parents work, we find suggestive evidence that CA-PFL increases both father-only leave-taking (i.e., father on leave while mother is at work) and joint leave-taking (i.e., both parents on leave at the same time). Effects are larger for fathers of first-born children than for fathers of later-born children.

Father-child separation, retrospective and current views of attachment relationship with father, and self-esteem in late adolescence.

PubMed

McCormick, C B; Kennedy, J H

2000-06-01

Relationships between paternal separation in childhood and adult measures of self-esteem, paternal acceptance and independence-encouragement were investigated with 236 nonparent college students as subjects. Current relationship with father was measured by a modified version of Epstein's Mother-Father-Peer Scale. Self-esteem was measured by Coopersmith's Self-esteem Inventory. Individuals who experienced separation for all reasons from their fathers during childhood recounted less acceptance by their fathers in late adolescence but not less independence-encouragement. Individuals whose parents had divorced (whether or not they had experienced a significant separation) reported lower acceptance by their fathers in both childhood and in late adolescence, and they attained lower scores on self-esteem.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Kenya.

PubMed

Oburu, Paul Odhiambo

2011-07-01

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined differences and similarities between Kenyan mothers and fathers in attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 100 two-parent families in Kenya. RESULTS: Mothers were more likely to make attributions regarding adult-controlled failure in caregiving situations than were fathers, but mothers and fathers did not differ on attributions regarding uncontrollable success, child-controlled failure, or authoritarian or progressive attitudes. Moderate to large correlations were found between mothers and fathers in terms of attributions regarding uncontrollable success, authoritarian attitudes, and modernity of attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Kenyan mothers and fathers hold very similar attributions for success and failures in caregiving situations as well as parenting attitudes.

[Family perceptions and moderating factors of involvement in non-residential fathers].

PubMed

Della Casa, André; Spillner, Murielle; Winkler-Metzke, Christa; Steinhausen, Hans-Christoph

2012-01-01

The involvement of non-resident fathers with their child was analysed by use of a questionnaire in a sample of 74 divorced or separated families living in the city of Ziurich, Switzerland. Fathers, mothers, and one child separately rated the involvement of the father. The three perspectives were compared and showed significant differences in the dimensions of educational responsibility, cognitive and social support, and the quality of the emotional relationship. The temporal availability and leisure time activities did not show significant differences. The different family perspectives should be considered when assessing a father's involvement with his child. The quality of the relationship of the children to their fathers was primarily fostered by the emotional engagement of the father.

Involvement with Children and Low-Income Fathers’ Psychological Well-Being

PubMed Central

Kotila, Letitia E.; Kamp Dush, Claire M.

2014-01-01

Low income men are at risk for depressive symptoms and reduced father involvement. Using the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n = 2,703), we examined reciprocal associations between father involvement and depressive symptoms, and the moderating effect of relationship quality, for resident and nonresident fathers. Higher father involvement was associated with lower depressive symptoms two years later across the full sample of fathers. However, nonresidence functioned as a risk; higher nonresident father involvement with toddlers was associated with greater depressive symptoms two years later. Greater resident father involvement with toddlers was associated with fewer depressive symptoms two years later in low quality couple relationships. Across the full sample, the association between depressive symptoms and lower involvement was weak. PMID:25614731

The Experiences of Fathers When Their Partners are Admitted with Their Infants to a Psychiatric Mother and Baby Unit.

PubMed

Reid, Holly; Wieck, Angelika; Matrunola, Andrew; Wittkowski, Anja

2017-07-01

Mothers with severe post-natal mental illness can be admitted with their infant to a psychiatric mother and baby unit (MBU) in the UK. MBUs provide specialist assessment, management and support. Partners of women admitted to MBUs are integral to their recovery but may show reduced wellbeing themselves, yet their support needs have not been investigated. This study aimed to identify how fathers experience the MBU and how they felt supported. A qualitative design was adopted by using a purposive sample of 17 fathers, recruited from a MBU during their partner's admission. Semi-structured interviews were used, and responses were analysed using an inductive thematic analysis. Four main themes were developed: (1) 'double whammy', (2) understanding the admission and illness, (3) support for fathers, and (4) personal stressors and coping. We identified the emotional struggle that fathers experienced when coping simultaneously with the arrival of a baby and their partner's illness. Furthermore, fathers sought support from many sources, but their knowledge of psychiatric services and mental illness was limited. Fathers felt uncertain about their partners' progression and when their partner would return home with their baby. The provision of an information pack and regular one-to-one meetings between fathers and MBU staff are recommended. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Partners of mothers admitted to a psychiatric mother and baby unit have shown increased vulnerability to mental illness themselves; however, little is known about the support that these fathers need and receive during this time. Using interviews, this study sought to understand a) how fathers experienced the mental illness of their partner and the unit's services and b) how fathers could be better supported. Fathers face many emotional and practical challenges during their partner's admission and seek support from numerous sources, including the mother and baby unit. Fathers require more information from the mother and baby unit with regard to mental illness and the unit's services. Furthermore, the introduction of regular one-to-one updates between staff and fathers would provide an opportunity for fathers to understand how their partner is progressing and for staff to informally assess the father's wellbeing and outstanding support needs. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Low-income minority fathers' control strategies and children's regulatory skills

PubMed Central

Malin, Jenessa L.; Cabrera, Natasha J.; Karberg, Elizabeth; Aldoney, Daniela; Rowe, Meredith

2015-01-01

The current study explored the bidirectional association of children's individual characteristics, fathers' control strategies at 24-months and children's regulatory skills at pre-kindergarten (pre-K). Using a sample of low-income minority families with 2-year-olds from the Early Head Start Evaluation Research Program (n = 71) we assessed the association between child gender and vocabulary skills, fathers' control strategies at 24-months (e.g., regulatory behavior and regulatory language), and children's sustained attention and emotion regulation at pre-kindergarten. There were three main findings. First, fathers' overwhelmingly use commands (e.g., do that) to promote compliance in their 24-month old children. Second, children's vocabulary skills predict fathers' regulatory behaviors during a father-child interaction, whereas children's gender predicts fathers' regulatory language during an interaction. Third, controlling for maternal supportiveness, fathers' regulatory behaviors at 24-months predict children's sustained attention at pre-kindergarten whereas fathers' regulatory language at 24-months predicts children's emotion regulation at pre-kindergarten. Our findings highlight the importance of examining paternal contributions to children's regulatory skills. PMID:25798496

Low-income, minority fathers' control strategies and their children's regulatory skills.

PubMed

Malin, Jenessa L; Cabrera, Natasha J; Karberg, Elizabeth; Aldoney, Daniela; Rowe, Meredith L

2014-01-01

The current study explored the bidirectional association of children's individual characteristics, fathers' control strategies at 24 months, and children's regulatory skills at prekindergarten (pre-K). Using a sample of low-income, minority families with 2-year-olds from the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (n = 71), we assessed the association between child gender and vocabulary skills, fathers' control strategies at 24 months (e.g., regulatory behavior and regulatory language), and children's sustained attention and emotion regulation at prekindergarten. There were three main findings. First, fathers overwhelmingly used commands (e.g., "Do that.") to promote compliance in their 24-month-old children. Second, children's vocabulary skills predicted fathers' regulatory behaviors during a father-child interaction whereas children's gender predicted fathers' regulatory language during an interaction. Third, controlling for maternal supportiveness, fathers' regulatory behaviors at 24 months predicted children's sustained attention at pre-K whereas fathers' regulatory language at 24 months predicted children's emotion regulation at pre-K. Our findings highlight the importance of examining paternal contributions to children's regulatory skills. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Rough-and-tumble play and the regulation of aggression: an observational study of father-child play dyads.

PubMed

Flanders, Joseph L; Leo, Vanessa; Paquette, Daniel; Pihl, Robert O; Séguin, Jean R

2009-01-01

Rough-and-tumble play (RTP) is a common form of play between fathers and children. It has been suggested that RTP can contribute to the development of selfregulation. This study addressed the hypothesis that the frequency of father-child RTP is related to the frequency of physically aggressive behavior in early childhood. This relationship was expected to be moderated by the dominance relationship between father and son during play. Eighty-five children between the ages of 2 and 6 years were videotaped during a free-play session with their fathers in their homes and questionnaire data was collected about father-child RTP frequency during the past year. The play dyads were rated for the degree to which the father dominated play interactions. A significant statistical interaction revealed that RTP frequency was associated with higher levels of physical aggression in children whose fathers were less dominant. These results indicate that RTP is indeed related to physical aggression, though this relationship is moderated by the degree to which the father is a dominant playmate. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Swedish pediatric diabetes teams' perception of fathers' involvement: A Grounded Theory study.

PubMed

Boman, Ase; Povlsen, Lene; Dahlborg-Lyckhage, Elisabeth; Borup, Ina

2013-06-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze how Swedish pediatric diabetes teams perceived and discussed fathers' involvement in the care of their child with type 1 diabetes. It also aimed to discuss how the teams' attitudes towards the fathers' involvement developed during the data collection process. The Constructivist Grounded Theory design was used and data were collected during three repeated focus group discussions with three Swedish pediatric diabetes teams. The core category of the teams' perception of fathers' involvement emerged as: If dad attends, we are happy - if mom doesn't, we become concerned. Initially the teams balanced their perception of fathers' involvement on the mother's role as the primary caregiver. In connection with the teams' directed attention on fathers, in the focus group discussions, the teams' awareness of the importance of fathers increased. As a consequence, the team members began to encourage fathers' engagement in their child's care. We conclude that by increasing the teams' awareness of fathers as a health resource, an active health promotion perspective could be implemented in pediatric diabetes care. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Andrew Wyeth and N.C. Wyeth: a psychodynamic perspective on father and son.

PubMed

Shaw, Jon A

2013-01-01

This paper examines the relationship between two extraordinary artists, father and son--N.C. Wyeth (1882-1945) and Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009)--and their art. N.C. Wyeth, the father, the most famous illustrator of his day, painted scenes full of drama and action, often of men engaged in violent life and death struggles. N.C. was unable to separate from his powerful mother and yearned for his iconic father. He thought himself an artistic failure and dedicated himself to raising his children to be geniuses. The youngest son, Andrew Wyeth, who lived a "secret life," painted scenes often characterized by pathos: bleak and barren landscapes, leaden skies, tire tracks, gray framed houses, desiccated fields, and circling buzzards. In the father-son relationship, we often seen three themes perpetuated developmentally: (1) the son's identification with the innermost conflicts of his father; (2) the yearning for the iconic father of his youth; and (3) a continuation and disavowal of his father's life. These themes are played out in the relationship between Andrew Wyeth and his father.

Father Involvement and Psychological Well-Being of Pregnant Women.

PubMed

Giurgescu, Carmen; Templin, Thomas N

2015-01-01

This study examined the relationships among father of the baby involvement during pregnancy, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being in African American women. Using a prospective study design, a sample of 95 pregnant African American women receiving prenatal care at a medical center in Chicago completed the self-report instruments about father of the baby involvement, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being twice during pregnancy, once at between 15 and 25 weeks and once between 25 and 37 weeks. Eighty percent of women reported that the father of the baby was involved during their pregnancy. Twenty-eight percent of women had clinically relevant depressive symptoms (CES-D scores ≥16) at the first data collection and 25% of women had clinically relevant depressive symptoms at the second data collection. Compared with women who reported no father involvement during pregnancy, women who reported father involvement during pregnancy had lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of psychological well-being. Fathers' involvement is important during pregnancy; nurses should encourage fathers to participate at prenatal visits and ask questions, and educate fathers on pregnancy process and procedures during prenatal care.

Father-child and mother-child interaction in families with a child feeding disorder: The role of paternal involvement.

PubMed

Atzaba-Poria, Naama; Meiri, Gal; Millikovsky, Maaian; Barkai, Anat; Dunaevsky-Idan, Maayan; Yerushalmi, Baruch

2010-11-01

To date, research about feeding disorder (FD) has focused almost exclusively on the mother-child dyad, ignoring fathers' roles. The current study investigated father-child interactions with children having FD. The sample consisted of 67 children (1-3 years old) and their mothers and fathers. Thirty-four children, diagnosed with a nonorganic-based FD (FD group) and 33 children without an FD (control group) were matched for age, gender, birth order, and maternal education. Data were collected during home visits. Mothers were interviewed about their and the father's involvement in childcare. In addition, mother-child and father-child interactions were videotaped during play and feeding. Both mothers and fathers from the FD group experienced less positive parent-child interactions than did parents in the control group. Furthermore, mothers in the FD group reported greater maternal versus paternal childcare involvement than did control group mothers. Finally, FD group mothers exhibited more parental sensitivity than did fathers during feeing interactions; however, this difference was observed only when coupled with low paternal involvement. In families where fathers were highly involved, no difference was evident in paternal and maternal sensitivity. These findings highlight the importance of fathers' involvement, especially in families with children exhibiting an FD. Copyright © 2010 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

FATHER-CHILD PLAY DURING THE PRESCHOOL YEARS AND CHILD INTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS: BETWEEN ROBUSTNESS AND VULNERABILITY.

PubMed

Ahnert, Lieselotte; Teufl, Lukas; Ruiz, Nina; Piskernik, Bernhard; Supper, Barbara; Remiorz, Silke; Gesing, Alexander; Nowacki, Katja

2017-11-01

Play observations with a total of 400 toddlers and preschoolers were videotaped and rated for Intensity and Quality of play with their parents. Parents were asked about perceived stress and personality characteristics (Big 5). Child's motor, cognitive skills, temperament, and internalizing behaviors were assessed. Study 1 investigated the robustness of play across child age and gender, and examined differences between fathers and mothers. Study 2 explored the vulnerability of play with fathers of children born preterm (PT-fathers) and fathers who had experienced adverse childhoods (AC-fathers). Study 3 investigated child internalizing behaviors. Intensity of play was maintained almost independently of child age and gender. It was similar for AC- and PT-fathers, and similar to maternal Intensity. In contrast, paternal Quality of play was higher with boys and independent of fathers' personality and perceived parenting stress whereas maternal Quality of play was higher with girls and linked to mothers' perceived parenting competence, acceptability of the child, and neuroticism. AC-fathers scored significantly low on Quality, as did PT-fathers, but the Quality of their play became better with growing child age, birth weight, and cognitive (but not motor and temperament) scores. Finally, child internalizing behaviors were negatively related to paternal Quality of play. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Moderating Effect of Residential History on the Effects of a Fatherhood Program on Parenting Skills Satisfaction among Nonresident African American Fathers

PubMed Central

De Loney, E. Hill; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard

2018-01-01

Nonresident African American (AA) fathers sometimes face challenges to achieving satisfaction with their parenting skills, which may inhibit their motivations for parenting. Studies have found that residential history of fathers is associated with parental involvement; however, current fatherhood programs rarely consider the influence of different residential history on fathering. In the current study, we examined whether nonresident AA fathers’ residential history with their sons moderated their parenting skills satisfaction after participating in the Fathers and Sons Program. Our results indicated that after controlling for fathers’ pretest parenting skills satisfaction, age, education, marital status, employment, and ever lived with their son’s mother; there was a moderating effect of residential history on the intervention’s effects on posttest parenting skills satisfaction. The regression analyses showed that fathers in the intervention group who had lived with their son increased their parenting skills satisfaction more at posttest compared with fathers who had never lived with their sons. However, fathers in the comparison group who had lived with their sons had lower posttest parenting skills satisfaction. Future fatherhood programs for nonresident AA fathers should develop more nuanced group-specific interventions that consider residential history as a critical factor to enhance their parenting skills satisfaction as a strategy for improving father involvement. PMID:29425126

An updated and expanded meta-analysis of nonresident fathering and child well-being.

PubMed

Adamsons, Kari; Johnson, Sara K

2013-08-01

Since Amato and Gilbreth's (1999) meta-analysis of nonresident father involvement and child well-being, nonmarital childbirths and nonresident father involvement both have increased. The unknown implications of such changes motivated the present study, a meta-analytic review of 52 studies of nonresident father involvement and child well-being. Consistent with Amato and Gilbreth, we found that positive forms of involvement were associated with benefits for children, with a small but statistically significant effect size. Amounts of father-child contact and financial provision, however, were not associated with child well-being. Going beyond Amato and Gilbreth, we analyzed the associations between different types of fathering and overall child well-being, and between overall father involvement and different types of child well-being. We found that nonresident father involvement was most strongly associated with children's social well-being and also was associated with children's emotional well-being, academic achievement, and behavioral adjustment. The forms of father involvement most strongly associated with child well-being were involvement in child-related activities, having positive father-child relationships, and engaging in multiple forms of involvement. Moderator analyses demonstrated variation in effect sizes based on both study characteristics and demographic variables. We discuss the implications of these findings for policy and practice. © 2013 American Psychological Association

Fathers’ Representation in Observational Studies on Parenting and Childhood Obesity: A Systematic Review and Content Analysis

PubMed Central

Gicevic, Selma; Aftosmes-Tobio, Alyssa; Ganter, Claudia; Simon, Christine L.; Newlan, Sami; Manganello, Jennifer A.

2016-01-01

Background. The involvement of fathers in caregiving has increased substantially over the past 30 years. Yet in child and adolescent psychopathology, few studies include fathers as research participants and few present results for fathers separate from those for mothers. We test for the first time whether a similar pattern exists in research on parenting and childhood obesity. Objectives. To conduct a systematic review and quantitative content analysis of observational studies on parenting and childhood obesity to (1) document the inclusion of fathers, relative to mothers, as research participants and (2) examine characteristics of studies that did and did not include fathers. This study presents new data on the number and gender of parent research participants. Search methods. We searched title, abstract, and Medical Subject Headings term fields in 5 research databases (PubMed, EMBASE, Academic Search Premier, PsycINFO, and CINAHL) using terms combining parents or parenting (e.g., mother, father, caregiver, parenting style, food parenting) and obesity (e.g., obesity, body weight, overweight) or obesity-related lifestyle behaviors (e.g., diet, snacking, physical activity, outdoor play, exercise, media use). Selection criteria. We identified and screened studies as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) published between January 2009 and December 2015, examining links between parenting and childhood obesity, including parents or caregivers as research participants, and written in English. We excluded interventions, nonhuman studies, dissertations, conference abstracts, and studies on youths with specific medical conditions. Of 5557 unique studies, 667 studies were eligible. Data collection and analysis. For each of the 667 studies, 4 coders were trained to code characteristics of the study (e.g., publication year, geographic region, journal, study focus) and parent research participants (e.g., parent gender, demographic background, biological relationship with child, and residential status). We established intercoder reliability before coding the full sample of studies (mean Krippendorf’s alpha = .79; average percentage agreement = 94%). Main results. Of the studies, 1% included only fathers. By contrast, 36% included only mothers. Although slightly more than 50% of studies (n = 347) included at least 1 father, only 57 studies reported results for fathers separate from those for mothers. When we combined them with studies including only fathers, 10% of studies overall reported results for fathers. Samples sizes of fathers were small compared with mothers. Of studies with fathers, 59% included 50 or fewer fathers, whereas 22% of studies with mothers included 50 or fewer mothers. The mean sample size for fathers across all eligible studies was 139, compared with 672 for mothers. Overall, fathers represented 17% of parent participants across all eligible studies. Conclusions. This study unequivocally demonstrates that fathers are underrepresented in recent observational research on parenting and childhood obesity. Public health implications. The underrepresentation of fathers in obesity research compromises the development of effective family interventions for childhood obesity prevention. Targeted opportunities and incentives are needed to support research with fathers. PMID:27631735

Father Involvement and Behavior Problems among Preadolescents at Risk of Maltreatment

PubMed Central

Yoon, Susan; Bellamy, Jennifer L.; Kim, Wonhee; Yoon, Dalhee

2018-01-01

Although there is a well-established connection between father involvement and children’s positive behavioral development in general, this relation has been understudied in more vulnerable and high-risk populations. The aims of this study were to examine how the quantity (i.e., the amount of shared activities) and quality (i.e., perceived quality of the father-child relationship) of father involvement are differently related to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems among preadolescents at risk of maltreatment and test if these associations are moderated by father type and child maltreatment. A secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN). Generalized estimating equations analysis was performed on a sample of 499 preadolescents aged 12 years. The results indicated that higher quality of father involvement was associated with lower levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems whereas greater quantity of father involvement was associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems. The positive association between the quantity of father involvement and behavior problems was stronger in adolescents who were physically abused by their father. The association between father involvement and behavior problems did not differ by the type of father co-residing in the home. The findings suggest that policies and interventions aimed at improving the quality of fathers’ relationships and involvement with their children may be helpful in reducing behavior problems in adolescents at risk of maltreatment. PMID:29491703

Fathers of children born with cleft lip and palate: Impact of the timing of diagnosis.

PubMed

Zeytinoğlu, Senem; Davey, Maureen P; Crerand, Canice; Fisher, Kathleen

2016-06-01

Cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P) affects not just the child born with the condition but also the child's parents. Prior research has been primarily cross-sectional, quantitative, and focused on mothers' emotional, social, and care experiences. Fathers' experiences have been neglected despite the important role fathers have in their child's well-being and development. The purpose of this study was to examine how the timing of a child's diagnosis (prenatal vs. postnatal) affects how fathers cope and adapt. We conducted a descriptive qualitative study with a convenience sample of 17 fathers and used thematic content analysis to code the interviews. The sample included 10 fathers who received a prenatal diagnosis and 7 who received a postnatal diagnosis. The following 4 major themes emerged: (a) first hearing the diagnosis, (b) taking care of a baby with cleft, (c) future concerns, and (d) reflections. Course of treatment, feeding, and social stigma were reported as major sources of stress for all fathers. All fathers should be routinely assessed by CL/P treatment teams and included in support services. Some fathers whose babies were diagnosed at birth experienced self-blame, suggesting the importance of screening this group of fathers for distress at birth. Findings underscore the importance of family centered approaches to care that include both mothers and fathers in treatment planning, interventions, and future research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Involvement of Fathers in Pediatric Obesity Treatment and Prevention Trials: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Morgan, Philip J; Young, Myles D; Lloyd, Adam B; Wang, Monica L; Eather, Narelle; Miller, Andrew; Murtagh, Elaine M; Barnes, Alyce T; Pagoto, Sherry L

2017-02-01

Despite their important influence on child health, it is assumed that fathers are less likely than mothers to participate in pediatric obesity treatment and prevention research. This review investigated the involvement of fathers in obesity treatment and prevention programs targeting children and adolescents (0-18 years). A systematic review of English, peer-reviewed articles across 7 databases. Retrieved records included at least 1 search term from 2 groups: "participants" (eg, child*, parent*) and "outcomes": (eg, obes*, diet*). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing behavioral interventions to prevent or treat obesity in pediatric samples were eligible. Parents must have "actively participated" in the study. Two authors independently extracted data using a predefined template. The search retrieved 213 eligible RCTs. Of the RCTs that limited participation to 1 parent only (n = 80), fathers represented only 6% of parents. In RCTs in which participation was open to both parents (n = 133), 92% did not report objective data on father involvement. No study characteristics moderated the level of father involvement, with fathers underrepresented across all study types. Only 4 studies (2%) suggested that a lack of fathers was a possible limitation. Two studies (1%) reported explicit attempts to increase father involvement. The review was limited to RCTs published in English peer-reviewed journals over a 10-year period. Existing pediatric obesity treatment or prevention programs with parent involvement have not engaged fathers. Innovative strategies are needed to make participation more accessible and engaging for fathers. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Father-involvement in a refugee sample: relations between posttraumatic stress and caregiving.

PubMed

van Ee, Elisa; Sleijpen, Marieke; Kleber, Rolf J; Jongmans, Marian J

2013-12-01

Despite increased attention to the role of fathers within families, there is still a dearth of studies on the impact of trauma on father-involvement. This study investigates the quantity of father-involvement and the influence of posttraumatic stress on the quality of involvement in a refugee and asylum seeker population. Eighty refugees and asylum seekers and their young children (aged 18-42 months) were recruited. Measures included assessment of parental trauma (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire), quantity and quality of involvement (quantity of caregiving and Emotional Availability Scales), and perception of the father-child relationship (interview). The results show that fathers were less involved in caregiving tasks and play activities than mothers. No parental gender differences were found on each of the Emotional Availability Scales. Traumatic stress symptoms negatively affected the perception and the actual quality of parent-child interaction (sensitivity, structuring, nonhostility). Nevertheless, almost all fathers described their relationship with their child as good and their child as very important to them. As the quality of father-involvement is of importance to the development of the child, traumatized fathers are as much in need of clinical intervention as mothers. Despite the impact of posttraumatic stress, refugee fathers clearly are involved in the lives of their children. Mechanisms such as a deliberate withdrawal when stressed and compensation might enable affected fathers to step into the interaction when needed, raise the quality of involvement with their child, and diminish the negative impact of stress resulting from trauma and migration. © FPI, Inc.

The influence of nonresident fathers on adolescent and young adult cigarette smoking.

PubMed

Ali, Mir M; Dean, David

2015-09-01

In this analysis we examine the relationship between nonresidential father involvement with their children and adolescent smoking behavior using a nationally representative longitudinal dataset. We attempt to determine what influence, if any, nonresident fathers have in the development of this health risk behavior in their adolescent children while accounting for aspects of parenting and family life that have been hypothesized to also influence adolescent cigarette smoking. Data for this analysis come from the first 3 waves of the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health. Given the longitudinal nature of the data, we are able to ascertain whether nonresident father involvement affects adolescent cigarette smoking, an important advance in our understanding of the influence of fathers. We found that greater levels of nonresidential father involvement significantly decrease both the odds of participation in and the intensity of cigarette smoking, especially among girls. This influence is demonstrated not only in adolescence but persists into young adulthood. Our findings underscore the importance of adolescents' living arrangements and the role that nonresident fathers might play in influencing adolescent cigarette smoking, a health risk behavior of strong public health significance. Fathers make important contributions to the health and wellbeing of their children, and interventions focused on nonresident fathers in particular would likely be of significant help to the substance abuse prevention field. Interventions to support father involvement, particularly of nonresident fathers, with their children should be implemented as a preventive strategy to reduce the likelihood of adolescent cigarette smoking. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Early father's and mother's involvement and child's later educational outcomes.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini; Buchanan, Ann

2004-06-01

Few studies have investigated the individual long-term contributions that mothers and fathers make to their children's schooling. (1) To explore the role of early father involvement in children's later educational attainment independently of the role of early mother involvement and other confounds, (2) to investigate whether gender and family structure moderate the relationship between father's and mother's involvement and child's educational attainment, and (3) to explore whether the impact of father's involvement depends on the level of mother's involvement. The study used longitudinal data from the National Child Development Study. The initial sample were those 7,259 cohort members with valid data on mother involvement at age 7, father involvement at age 7, and school-leaving qualification by age 20. Of those, 3,303 were included in the final analysis. The measures were control variables, structural factors (family structure, sibship size and residential mobility), child factors (emotional/behavioural problems, cognitive ability and academic motivation), and father's and mother's involvement. Father involvement and mother involvement at age 7 independently predicted educational attainment by age 20. The association between parents' involvement and educational attainment was not stronger for sons than for daughters. Father involvement was not more important for educational attainment when mother involvement was low rather than high. Not growing up in intact two-parent family did not weaken the association between father's or mother's involvement and educational outcomes. Early father involvement can be another protective factor in counteracting risk conditions that might lead to later low attainment levels.

Depressive symptoms in nonresident african american fathers and involvement with their sons.

PubMed

Davis, R Neal; Caldwell, Cleopatra Howard; Clark, Sarah J; Davis, Matthew M

2009-12-01

Our objective was to determine whether paternal depressive symptoms were associated with less father involvement among African American fathers not living with their children (ie, nonresident fathers). We analyzed survey data for 345 fathers enrolled in a program for nonresident African American fathers and their preteen sons. Father involvement included measures of contact, closeness, monitoring, communication, and conflict. We used bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression analysis to examine associations between father involvement and depressive symptoms. Thirty-six percent of fathers reported moderate depressive symptoms, and 11% reported severe depressive symptoms. In bivariate analyses, depressive symptoms were associated with less contact, less closeness, low monitoring, and increased conflict. In multivariate analyses controlling for basic demographic features, fathers with moderate depressive symptoms were more likely to have less contact (adjusted odds ratio: 1.7 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-2.8]), less closeness (adjusted odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.3-3.5]), low monitoring (adjusted odds ratio: 2.7 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-5.2]), and high conflict (adjusted odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-3.6]). Fathers with severe depressive symptoms also were more likely to have less contact (adjusted odds ratio: 3.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-7.2]), less closeness (adjusted odds ratio: 2.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.2-5.7]), low monitoring (adjusted odds ratio: 2.8 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-7.1]), and high conflict (adjusted odds ratio: 2.6 [95% confidence interval: 1.1-5.9]). Paternal depressive symptoms may be an important, but modifiable, barrier for nonresident African American fathers willing to be more involved with their children.

Addressing the needs of first-time fathers in Tasmania: A qualitative study of father-only antenatal groups.

PubMed

Nash, Meredith

2018-04-01

To examine how first-time fathers in rural Tasmania experienced father-only antenatal support/education groups. Semistructured interviews with expectant fathers were used for this study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit fathers in 2014. Participants were recruited face-to-face via email through a government health service and not-for-profit organisation that runs a state-wide fatherhood program. Several participants were recruited through a company that holds antenatal education classes for men in a pub. Data were analysed thematically. Three rural Tasmanian areas (South, Central Coast and Northern Midlands) PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five men from three rural areas of Tasmania, ≥18 years, about to become first-time father with partner at least 20 weeks pregnant. Semistructured interviews explored men's experiences of father-only antenatal education groups. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (i) motivations for attending antenatal groups; (ii) the effect of the group setting on men's experiences; (iii) masculine stereotypes in antenatal groups; and (iv) strategies to support fathers. Data show men wanted to join the groups and learn about being an involved father. They often felt uncomfortable sharing experiences in discussion-based groups. They tended to prefer information-based groups which were not premised on sharing emotions. Men offered strategies to improve father-only antenatal education groups. Tasmanian antenatal education/support programs need improvement. Providing men with multiple opportunities to connect with other fathers is critical to improving support. Groups can be improved by accounting for multiple and complex constructions of masculinity, increasing the number of sessions offered and altering the structure. © 2017 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

The cross-lagged relationship between father absence and child problem behaviour in the early years.

PubMed

Flouri, E; Narayanan, M K; Midouhas, E

2015-11-01

Father absence has negative consequences for children's behaviour. Yet research has not examined how father absence and child behaviour may influence each other. This study models the cross-lagged relationship between father absence (non-residence) and child problem behaviour in the early years. We used data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, at children's ages 3, 5 and 7 years (Sweeps 2-4). The sample was 15,293 families in which both biological parents were co-resident at Sweep 1, when the child was aged 9 months. Child problem behaviour was assessed using the clinical cut-offs of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We also investigated gender differences in the association between father absence and problem behaviour. Father absence at age 3 predicted a higher probability of the child scoring above cut-off for total difficulties at age 5, as did father absence at age 5 for total difficulties at age 7. There were no significant effects for total difficulties on father absence. Similar father absence effects were found for individual SDQ subscales. Using these subscales, we found few child behaviour effects, mostly during the preschool years: children's severe externalizing and social (but not emotional) problems were associated with a greater probability of the father being absent in the next sweep. All cross-lagged relationships were similar for boys and girls. Father absence seems to be mainly the cause rather than the outcome of child problem behaviour in young UK families, and to affect boys and girls similarly. There were some child (mostly externalizing) behaviour effects on father absence, particularly in the early years. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fathers' encounter of support from paediatric diabetes teams; the tension between general recommendations and personal experience.

PubMed

Boman, Ase; Povlsen, Lene; Dahlborg-Lyckhage, Elisabeth; Hanas, Ragnar; Borup, Ina

2013-05-01

The purpose of this grounded theory study was to explore and discuss how fathers involved in caring for a child with type 1 diabetes experienced support from Swedish paediatric diabetes teams (PDTs) in everyday life with their child. Eleven fathers of children with type 1 diabetes, living in Sweden and scoring high on involvement on the Parental Responsibility Questionnaire, participated. Data were collected from January 2011 to August 2011, initially through online focus group discussions in which 6 of 19 invited fathers participated. Due to high attrition, the data collection continued in eight individual interviews. A semi-structured interview guide was used, and the fathers were asked to share experiences of their PDT's support in everyday life with their child. A simultaneous and constant comparison approach to data collection and analysis allowed the core category to emerge: the tension between general recommendations and personal experience. This core category illuminates how the fathers experienced tension between managing their unique everyday life with their child and balancing this to meet their PDT's expectations with regard to blood glucose levels. The core category was supported by two categories: the tension between the fathers'and their PDT's knowledge, whereby fathers reported discrepancies between their PDT's medical knowledge and their own unique knowledge of their child; and the tension between the fathers'and their PDT's goals, whereby the fathers identified differences between the family's and their PDT's goals. As a dimension of the core category, fathers felt trust or distrust in their PDT. We conclude that to achieve high-quality support for children with diabetes and to enhance their health and well-being, involved fathers' knowledge of their unique family situation needs to be integrated into the diabetes treatment. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Father for the first time--development and validation of a questionnaire to assess fathers' experiences of first childbirth (FTFQ).

PubMed

Premberg, Åsa; Taft, Charles; Hellström, Anna-Lena; Berg, Marie

2012-05-17

A father's experience of the birth of his first child is important not only for his birth-giving partner but also for the father himself, his relationship with the mother and the newborn. No validated questionnaire assessing first-time fathers' experiences during childbirth is currently available. Hence, the aim of this study was to develop and validate an instrument to assess first-time fathers' experiences of childbirth. Domains and items were initially derived from interviews with first-time fathers, and supplemented by a literature search and a focus group interview with midwives. The comprehensibility, comprehension and relevance of the items were evaluated by four paternity research experts and a preliminary questionnaire was pilot tested in eight first-time fathers. A revised questionnaire was completed by 200 first-time fathers (response rate = 81%) Exploratory factor analysis using principal component analysis with varimax rotation was performed and multitrait scaling analysis was used to test scaling assumptions. External validity was assessed by means of known-groups analysis. Factor analysis yielded four factors comprising 22 items and accounting 48% of the variance. The domains found were Worry, Information, Emotional support and Acceptance. Multitrait analysis confirmed the convergent and discriminant validity of the domains; however, Cronbach's alpha did not meet conventional reliability standards in two domains. The questionnaire was sensitive to differences between groups of fathers hypothesized to differ on important socio demographic or clinical variables. The questionnaire adequately measures important dimensions of first-time fathers' childbirth experience and may be used to assess aspects of fathers' experiences during childbirth. To obtain the FTFQ and permission for its use, please contact the corresponding author.

The cross‐lagged relationship between father absence and child problem behaviour in the early years

PubMed Central

Narayanan, M. K.; Midouhas, E.

2015-01-01

Abstract Background Father absence has negative consequences for children's behaviour. Yet research has not examined how father absence and child behaviour may influence each other. This study models the cross‐lagged relationship between father absence (non‐residence) and child problem behaviour in the early years. Methods We used data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study, at children's ages 3, 5 and 7 years (Sweeps 2–4). The sample was 15 293 families in which both biological parents were co‐resident at Sweep 1, when the child was aged 9 months. Child problem behaviour was assessed using the clinical cut‐offs of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). We also investigated gender differences in the association between father absence and problem behaviour. Results Father absence at age 3 predicted a higher probability of the child scoring above cut‐off for total difficulties at age 5, as did father absence at age 5 for total difficulties at age 7. There were no significant effects for total difficulties on father absence. Similar father absence effects were found for individual SDQ subscales. Using these subscales, we found few child behaviour effects, mostly during the preschool years: children's severe externalizing and social (but not emotional) problems were associated with a greater probability of the father being absent in the next sweep. All cross‐lagged relationships were similar for boys and girls. Conclusions Father absence seems to be mainly the cause rather than the outcome of child problem behaviour in young UK families, and to affect boys and girls similarly. There were some child (mostly externalizing) behaviour effects on father absence, particularly in the early years. PMID:25708874

Babies and Briefcases: Creating a Family-Friendly Workplace for Fathers. Hearing before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. House of Representatives, One Hundred Second Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families.

Hearings on family-friendly workplaces for fathers were held in an effort to help create a corporate culture that allows fathers to take advantage of and support different workplace policies. Fathers' impact on children's development, and the reasons why it is important for fathers to be part of the parenting process, are examined. Representative…

Childbirth fear in Swedish fathers is associated with parental stress as well as poor physical and mental health.

PubMed

Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Haines, Helen; Johansson, Margareta; Rubertsson, Christine; Fenwick, Jennifer

2014-02-01

to compare self-rated health and perceived difficulties during pregnancy as well as antenatal attendance, birth experience and parental stress in fathers with and without childbirth related fear. a longitudinal regional survey. Data were collected by three questionnaires. three hospitals in the middle-north part of Sweden. 1047 expectant fathers recruited in mid-pregnancy and followed up at two months and one year after birth. childbirth fear was assessed using the Fear of Birth Scale (FOBS). Self-rated physical and mental health and perceived difficulties were assessed in mid pregnancy. Two months after birth antenatal attendance, mode of birth and the birth experience were investigated. Parental stress was measured using the Swedish Parental Stress Questionnaire (SPSQ). Crude and adjusted odds ratios were calculated between expectant fathers who scored 50 and above (childbirth fear) and those that did not (no fear). expectant fathers with childbirth related fear (13.6%) reported poorer physical (OR 1.8; 95% CI 1.2-2.8) and mental (OR 3.0; 1.8-5.1) health than their non-fearful counterparts. The fearful fathers were more likely to perceive difficulties in pregnancy (OR 2.1; 1.4-3.0), and the forthcoming birth (OR 4.3; 2.9-6.3) compared to fathers without childbirth fear. First-time fathers with fear attended fewer antenatal classes. Fathers with high fear reported higher mean scores in four of the five subscales of the SPSQ. Childbirth related fear was not associated with mode of birth or fathers' birth experience. expectant fathers with childbirth related fear had poorer health, viewed the pregnancy, birth and the forthcoming parenthood with more difficulties. They were less often present during antenatal classes and had higher parental stress. this study provides insight into the health of expectant fathers during pregnancy and highlights the importance of understanding how childbirth fear may affect expectant fathers in both the short and longer term. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The role of fathers in child feeding: perceived responsibility and predictors of participation.

PubMed

Mallan, K M; Nothard, M; Thorpe, K; Nicholson, J M; Wilson, A; Scuffham, P A; Daniels, L A

2014-09-01

The role of fathers in shaping their child's eating behaviour and weight status through their involvement in child feeding has rarely been studied. This study aims to describe fathers' perceived responsibility for child feeding, and to identify predictors of how frequently fathers eat meals with their child. Four hundred and thirty-six Australian fathers (M age = 37 years, SD = 6 years; 34% university educated) of a 2-5-year-old child (M age = 3.5 years, SD = 0.9 years; 53% boys) were recruited via contact with mothers enrolled in existing research projects or a university staff and student email list. Data were collected from fathers via a self-report questionnaire. Descriptive and hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted. The majority of fathers reported that the family often/mostly ate meals together (79%). Many fathers perceived that they were responsible at least half of the time for feeding their child in terms of organizing meals (42%); amount offered (50%) and deciding if their child eats the 'right kind of foods' (60%). Time spent in paid employment was inversely associated with how frequently fathers ate meals with their child (β = -0.23, P < 0.001); however, both higher perceived responsibility for child feeding (β = 0.16, P < 0.004) and a more involved and positive attitude toward their role as a father (β = 0.20, P < 0.001) were positively related to how often they ate meals with their child, adjusting for a range of paternal and child covariates, including time spent in paid employment. Fathers from a broad range of educational backgrounds appear willing to participate in research studies on child feeding. Most fathers were engaged and involved in family meals and child feeding. This suggests that fathers, like mothers, should be viewed as potential agents for the implementation of positive feeding practices within the family. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Perceptual body image of patients with anorexia or bulimia nervosa and their fathers.

PubMed

Benninghoven, D; Tetsch, N; Kunzendorf, S; Jantschek, G

2007-03-01

Little is known about how fathers of patients with eating disorders perceive their own body. In this study we investigated body image perception of patients with anorexia and bulimia nervosa and body image perception of their fathers in a computer assisted approach. A computer program, the somatomorphic matrix, is presented that allows modeling of perceived and desired body-images of patients and their relatives. Patients and fathers rated their own body images and fathers additionally rated the body images of their daughters. The images implemented in the program correspond with defined percentages of body fat and muscularity. Selected images were compared with subjects' anthropometric data regarding body fat and muscularity. Data from 42 father-daughter-dyads (27 patients with anorexia, 15 with bulimia nervosa) were examined. Differences between both diagnostic groups were compared and associations between fathers' and daughters' body image perceptions within each group were investigated. Patients with anorexia nervosa overestimated their bodies on the body fat dimension. Patients with bulimia nervosa wished to have a body with less fat. Fathers of both groups of patients perceived their own bodies correctly but wished to have less body fat and to be more muscular. The wish for a change in body fat of anorexia nervosa patients was highly correlated with fathers' BMI (r=0.49; p=0.009). The wish for a change in body fat of bulimia nervosa patients was correlated with fathers' distorted body image perception in terms of muscularity (r=-0.66, p=0.007) and with fathers' wish for a more muscular body (r=-0.51, p=0.05). Body images of patients with eating disorders and their fathers are related in the group of patients with bulimia nervosa. Perhaps, body images of fathers should be addressed in family therapy with patients with bulimia nervosa.

Self-rated health and mental health of lone fathers compared with lone mothers and partnered fathers: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chiu, Maria; Rahman, Farah; Kurdyak, Paul; Cairney, John; Jembere, Nathaniel; Vigod, Simone

2017-05-01

Lone parenthood is associated with poorer health; however, the vast majority of previous studies have examined lone mothers and only a few have focused on lone fathers. We aimed to examine the self-rated health and mental health status among a large population-based cross-sectional sample of Canadian lone fathers compared with both partnered fathers and lone mothers. We investigated differences in self-rated health and mental health among 1058 lone fathers compared with 20 692 partnered fathers and 5725 lone mothers using the Ontario component of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2001-2013). Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare the odds of poor/fair self-rated health and mental health between the study groups while adjusting for a comprehensive list of sociodemographic factors, stressors and lifestyle factors. Lone fathers and lone mothers showed similar prevalence of poor/fair self-rated health (11.6% and 12.5%, respectively) and mental health (6.2% and 8.4%, respectively); the odds were similar even after multivariable adjustment. Lone fathers showed higher odds of poor/fair self-rated health (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.07 to 2.17) and mental health (OR 2.09, 95% CI 1.26 to 3.46) than partnered fathers after adjustment for sociodemographic factors; however, these differences were no longer significant after accounting for stressors, including low income and unemployment. In this large population-based study, lone fathers had worse self-rated health and mental health than partnered fathers and similarly poor self-rated health and mental health as lone mothers. Interventions, supports and social policies designed for single parents should also recognise the needs of lone fathers. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Fatherhood and Family Support.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goetz, Kathy, Ed.

1996-01-01

On the assumption that fathers have been relatively absent from family support programs, this publication of the Family Resource Coalition addresses the role of fathers in family support programs, examines the impact of fathers on their children, and describes programs involving fathers successfully. Articles include: (1) "What's Behind the…

Father-son incest: underreported psychiatric problem?

PubMed

Dixon, K N; Arnold, L E; Calestro, K

1978-07-01

Six families are described in which 10 sons were involved incestuously with a natural father (N=4) or step-father (N=2). Father-son incest as a part of the spectrum of child abuse appears to be a more frequent clinical entity than was thought previously.

Family functioning and children's adjustment: associations among parents' depressed mood, marital hostility, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment.

PubMed

Low, Sabina M; Stocker, Clare

2005-09-01

Relations between parents' depressed mood, marital conflict, parent-child hostility, and children's adjustment were examined in a community sample of 136 ten-year-olds and their parents. Videotaped observational and self-report data were used to examine these relations in path analyses. A proposed model was tested in which mothers' and fathers' depressed mood and marital hostility were associated with children's adjustment problems through disruptions in parent-child relationships. Results showed that both mothers' and fathers' marital hostility were linked to parent-child hostility, which in turn was linked to children's internalizing problems. Fathers' depressed mood was linked to children's internalizing problems indirectly through father-child hostility. Fathers' depressed mood was directly linked to children's externalizing problems and indirectly linked through father-child hostility. For mothers, marital hostility was directly linked to children's externalizing problems, and marital hostility in fathers was indirectly linked to children's externalizing problems through father-child hostility. (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved

The impact of paternity leave on fathers' future earnings.

PubMed

Rege, Mari; Solli, Ingeborg F

2013-12-01

Using Norwegian registry data, we investigate the effect of paternity leave on fathers' long-term earnings. If the paternity leave increased long-term father involvement, then we should expect a reduction in fathers' long-term earnings as they shift time and effort from market to home production. For identification, we use the Norwegian introduction of a paternity-leave quota in 1993, reserving four weeks of the total of 42 weeks of paid parental leave exclusively for the father. The introduction of the paternity-leave quota led to a sharp increase in rates of leave-taking for fathers. We estimate a difference-in-differences model that exploits differences in fathers' exposure to the paternity-leave quota by the child's age and year of observation. Our analysis suggests that four weeks of paternity leave during the child's first year decreases fathers' future earnings, an effect that persists through our last point of observation, when the child is 5 years old. A battery of robustness tests supports our results.

Agreement in Mother and Father Acceptance-Rejection, Warmth, and Hostility/Rejection/Neglect of Children across Nine Countries

PubMed Central

Putnick, Diane L.; Bornstein, Marc H.; Lansford, Jennifer E.; Chang, Lei; Deater-Deckard, Kirby; Di Giunta, Laura; Gurdal, Sevtap; Dodge, Kenneth A.; Malone, Patrick S.; Oburu, Paul; Pastorelli, Concetta; Skinner, Ann T.; Sorbring, Emma; Tapanya, Sombat; Uribe Tirado, Liliana Maria; Zelli, Arnaldo; Alampay, Liane Peña; Al-Hassan, Suha M.; Bacchini, Dario; Bombi, Anna Silvia

2011-01-01

We assessed whether mothers’ and fathers’ self-reports of acceptance-rejection, warmth, and hostility/rejection/neglect (HRN) of their pre-adolescent children differ cross-nationally and relative to the gender of the parent and child in 10 communities in 9 countries, including China, Colombia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, the Philippines, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States (N = 998 families). Mothers and fathers in all countries reported a high degree of acceptance and warmth, and a low degree of HRN, but countries also varied. Mothers reported greater acceptance of children than fathers in China, Italy, Sweden, and the United States, and these effects were accounted for by greater self-reported warmth in mothers than fathers in China, Italy, the Philippines, Sweden, and Thailand and less HRN in mothers than fathers in Sweden. Fathers reported greater warmth than mothers in Kenya. Mother and father acceptance-rejection were moderately correlated. Relative levels of mother and father acceptance and rejection appear to be country specific. PMID:23024576

Correlates of child-father and child-mother attachment in the preschool years.

PubMed

Bureau, Jean-François; Martin, Jodi; Yurkowski, Kim; Schmiedel, Sabrina; Quan, Jeffry; Moss, Ellen; Deneault, Audrey-Ann; Pallanca, Dominique

2017-04-01

The increase in fathers' involvement in childrearing, particularly beyond infancy, warrants research exploring factors influencing the quality of child-father attachment relationships, and the impact of these relationships on children's social development. The current investigation explored various correlates of preschoolers' child-father attachment security to both parents, including contextual factors (i.e., socioeconomic status, child temperament, parenting stress), parental play sensitivity, and child social adaptation. Participants included 107 preschool-aged children (59 girls; M = 46.67 months, SD = 8.57) and their fathers and mothers. Results revealed that both mothers' and fathers' play sensitivity were associated with child attachment security after controlling for different contextual factors. Furthermore, the magnitude of the association between child conduct problems and child-father attachment insecurity was stronger than the corresponding association with child-mother attachment insecurity. Findings provide important information on caregiving factors associated with child-father attachment security in the preschool years and the importance of this bond to children's social adaptation.

Psychological Well-being in Fathers of Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Autism

PubMed Central

Hartley, Sigan L.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Head, Lara; Abbeduto, Leonard

2011-01-01

The psychological well-being of fathers of children with developmental disabilities remains poorly understood. The present study examined depressive symptoms, pessimism, and coping in fathers of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS; n = 59), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs; n = 135), and fragile X syndrome (FXS; n = 46) Fathers of sons/daughters with ASDs reported a higher level of depressive symptoms than the other groups of fathers. Fathers of sons/daughters with DS reported a lower level of pessimism than the other groups of fathers. There were no group differences in paternal coping style. Group differences in paternal depressive symptoms and pessimism were, in part, related to differences in paternal age, the child’s behavior problems, risk of having additional children with a disability, and maternal depressive symptoms. Findings from this study can be used to educate providers and design services for fathers during the later parenting years. PMID:22611299

The parenting role of African American fathers in the context of urban poverty.

PubMed

Threlfall, Jennifer M; Seay, Kristen D; Kohl, Patricia L

2013-01-01

This qualitative study examines low-income African American fathers' perceptions of their parenting role and the strategies they employ to bring up children in poor urban neighborhoods. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 36 fathers who had contact with their children at least twice a month. Men in the study expressed conventional views of their fathering roles as provider, nurturer, and teacher, but placed the most emphasis on "being there" for their children, as their financial circumstances limited other forms of involvement. Many fathers felt their circumstances to be exacerbated by a hostile child-support system. They desired to teach their children alternatives to the negative practices and values they saw in their urban neighborhoods and to have the skills to prosper in mainstream society. Overall, the findings suggest that many low-income urban fathers already desire to be responsible fathers but see themselves as limited by material and structural challenges. Services and policies that promote the economic stability of low-income fathers are recommended.

The association between an abusive father-son relationship, quantity of alcohol consumption, and male-to-male alcohol-related aggression.

PubMed

Miller, Peter; Hargreaves, Jessica; Curtis, Ashlee; Zinkiewicz, Lucy

2013-09-01

While alcohol consumption and heavy episodic (binge) drinking are well-established predictors of male-to-male alcohol-related aggression (MMARA), the role of the father-son relationship in MMARA has yet to be explored. This study therefore examined whether fathering by the biological father rather than another father figure, negative fathering, and gender role modeled by the father figure were significant predictors of involvement in MMARA, once drinking frequency and quantity and heavy episodic drinking were controlled for. A total of 121 university students aged 18 to 25 years (M = 20.63, SD = 1.77 years) voluntarily completed the online questionnaire. The only significant predictors of perpetration of MMARA were a more abusive paternal relationship and drinking quantity (number of standard drinks usually consumed when drinking). Negative father-son relationships may play a role in fostering young men's perpetration of MMARA in the barroom context. Copyright © 2013 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

The model of active participation of the father in childbirth, based on the preferences of the parturient women.

PubMed

Sioma-Markowska, Urszula; Poręba, Ryszard; Skrzypulec-Plinta, Violetta

2015-01-01

The model of family-assisted birth is an element of obstetric care that met with large interest, with the development of perinatology in numerous countries. The modern father is expected to more actively participate both during pregnancy and birth, and also in the childcare. The comparative analysis of the parturient Polish women and the forms of activity of the fathers participating in family-assisted births in order to know which forms of father's activity correlate with the expectations of women in labor and define the range of tasks for the father (model of action for family-assisted birth) that would correspond to the preferences of parturient women. 250 parturient women and 250 fathers who participated in the delivery were included in the survey. Couples after physiological delivery with the participation of father in all stages of childbirth were qualified. The surveys were conducted in the first day after the childbirth. The survey tool was an author-developed survey questionnaire in two versions: (A) for the mother and (B) for the child's father who participated in the birth. The statistical calculations were performed with use of the Statistical PL software. The frequency of occurrence of respective quality (non-measurable) features was evaluated with χ² (chi-square) nonparametric test. The level of statistical significance adopted for tests was p<0.05. The largest coherence between the form of father's activity and the expectations of the parturient woman was found in case of psychical support in every stage of the delivery. Another form of activity of fathers, that in 85% of cases was concurrent with the expectations of women in labor was the act of cutting the umbilical cord and the participation of father in the child measurements and tests (78.5% coherence) and the need of stay of father with the woman and the newborn in the post-delivery period (70% coherence). Obstetric care should take the preferences, connected with family-assisted birth, of both parents into account. The model of active participation of father in family-assisted birth forms a practical guideline for fathers willing to actively participate in the childbirth.

[The father image in male substance users].

PubMed

Sánchez Huesca, R; Guisa Cruz, V M; Cedillo González, A; Pascual Blanco, Y

2002-01-01

Due to the fact that various research studies have shown that drug users usually have a father with negative characteristics, it is convenient to investigate this phenomenon and take it into consideration in addict treatment efforts. This is a qualitative study that explores the fatherly perception among male substance users. The sample included 25 users who asked for treatment at Youth Integration Center and 25 non-users. Both groups were subjected to projective tests. The father image among substance users emphasizes negative characteristics; in contrast, non-users present a basically positive father perception, considering him as the most valuable family member. These data show that substance users relate less with the fatherly figure than non-users. They perceive their father as a devaluated member that occupies a secondary place in the family and sometimes does not even have an affective role. The findings of this investigation can be applied in individual psychotherapy, facilitating the revaluation and reflection of the fatherly figure among substance users. It would be convenient to create the necessary conditions to restitute the father role in family therapy and counseling groups for relatives. The findings must consider the size of the sample and limitations of qualitative research methology.

Use of Social Media by Fathers of Premature Infants.

PubMed

Kim, Hyung Nam; Wyatt, Tami H; Li, Xueping; Gaylord, Mark

Although parents of premature infants experience many challenges when transitioning home from the neonatal intensive care unit, healthcare providers and social support systems tend to focus on mothers and infants rather than fathers. Unfortunately, very little is known about paternal concerns and needs as compared with maternal ones. The lack of understanding about paternal needs may lead to inadequate designs of neonatal intensive care unit family support programs with less involved fathers, all of which contribute to increased burdens on mothers and poor health outcomes for their infants. Although information technology (IT) might have the potential to increase support for the fathers of preterm infants, only a few studies have examined systematically how IT applications can be beneficial. This study aims to advance the understanding of needs and concerns of fathers with preterm infants and how fathers use the IT applications (eg, social networking Web sites) to support themselves. We observed qualitatively various social networking Web sites (ie, 29 Web sites) where fathers share their experiences about preterm infants. We discovered that fathers used various social media to discuss their concerns and, in turn, obtained informational, companionship, and emotional supports. On the basis of our analysis, we provide insights into a father-centered technology intervention design.

Father involvement and psychological well-being of pregnant women

PubMed Central

Giurgescu, Carmen; Templin, Thomas

2015-01-01

Purpose This study examined the relationships among father of the baby involvement during pregnancy, depressive symptoms and psychological well-being in African American women. Study Design and Methods Using a prospective study design, a sample of 95 pregnant African American women receiving prenatal care at a medical center in Chicago completed the self-report instruments about father of the baby involvement, depressive symptoms, and psychological well-being twice during pregnancy; once at between 15-25 and once between 25-37 weeks. Results Eighty percent of women reported that the father of the baby was involved during their pregnancy. Twenty-eight percent of women had clinically relevant depressive symptoms (CES-D scores ≥16) at the first data collection and 25% of women had clinically relevant depressive symptoms at the second data collection. Compared with women who reported no father involvement during pregnancy, women who reported father involvement during pregnancy had lower levels of depressive symptoms and higher levels of psychological well-being. Clinical Implications Fathers' involvement is important during pregnancy; nurses should encourage fathers to participate at prenatal visits and ask questions and educate fathers on pregnancy process and procedures during prenatal care. PMID:26488855

Fathers' perceptions of the immediate postpartal period.

PubMed

de Montigny, Francine; Lacharité, Carl

2004-01-01

To describe the perceptions of first-time fathers regarding critical moments of the immediate postpartum period. Qualitative study. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with the fathers, using the critical incident technique; this was done in their home, within the first 12 days following the birth of their child. Sample consisted of 13 first-time fathers. A qualitative analysis allowed for the identification of five domains, five categories, and 12 subcategories of critical incidents within the first 96 hours of the postpartum period. The five domains of incidents relate to self and others: as individuals, as a couple, and as parents in relationship with the environment and with the nursing personnel. On the basis of a combined score of fathers' presence on the maternity ward, we were able to define three subgroups. All groups of fathers were sensitive to interactions with their baby and with the nurses. Highly involved fathers reported not feeling supported by the hospital environment policies in regard to engaging in behaviors that could favor their involvement with their baby. Increased awareness of fathers' experiences during the immediate postpartum period will enable nurses to respond more effectively to the fathers' needs.

Mother, Father, and Infant as an Interactive System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Frank A.

This study investigates three types of reciprocal interactions among members of the family unit (father, mother and infant): father-infant interaction affecting child's development, father-infant interaction affecting mother's behavior, and husband-wife interaction affecting mother's behavior. Data from a sample of 39 healthy first-born infants…

Handbook of Father Involvement: Multidisciplinary Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S., Ed.; Cabrera, Natasha, Ed.

Despite an unprecedented surge of research on fathers, progress in the study of father involvement generally occurs within rather than across disciplines. This handbook highlights the challenges facing researchers of father involvement across disciplines. Following an introduction, the chapters of the book are as follows: 1) "Methodological,…

Troubled Relationships: High-Risk Latina Adolescents and Nonresident Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Vera; Corona, Rosalie

2012-01-01

This qualitative study explored 18 high-risk adolescent Latinas' perceptions of their relationships with nonresident fathers. A number of interrelated factors--early childhood memories, mothers' interpretations, and fathers' behaviors--shaped girls' perceptions, which in turn, influenced how they interacted with fathers. Some girls struggled to…

Integrative Review of Factors and Interventions That Influence Early Father-Infant Bonding.

PubMed

Scism, Ashley Renee; Cobb, Robin Lynn

To report on the current state of research analyzing early father-infant bonding, including influential factors and interventions, to identify gaps in the literature. CINAHL, MEDLINE, PubMed, and PsychInfo computerized databases were searched using the keywords bonding, paternal, father, infant, relationship, engrossment, and postpartum. Twenty-eight articles were compiled on the basis of key inclusion criteria. Quality measures were undertaken using specific components of SQUIRE 2.0 to ensure quality of methodology and data. Each study was carefully dissected and initially arranged in a generic annotated bibliography. This process resulted in pattern recognition and identification of three major themes. The findings of every article were compared for commonalities and differences and were synthesized into an integrated review of father-infant bonding. The synthesis revealed three themes: Father's Adjustment and Transition, Variables That Influence Father-Infant Bonding, and Interventions That Promote Father-Infant Bonding. There is an immediate need to perform studies on specific interventions aimed at the promotion of early father-infant bonding in the United States. More research is needed to better understand the timing of early father-infant bonding and how this bonding influences a provider's role, attitude, and priority for establishing successful bonding interventions for fathers. Copyright © 2017 AWHONN, the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fathering and the Consolidation of Masculinity: Notes on the Paternal Function in Andrey Zvyagintsev's The Return.

PubMed

Barratt, Barnaby B

2015-06-01

The film The Return, directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev, depicts a weeklong "crash course" in masculinity offered by a father who returns after a prolonged absence. It is here analyzed here in terms of paternal functions related to love, work, and play. The story culminates in the father's "accidental" death. The image of his corpse sinking into a watery grave suggests that this "[not so] good enough" father both returns to his former condition as mythic-and-absent, and also assumes the position of the "always already dead" symbolic father. Psychoanalysis has admirably explored many fathering issues (specifically the experiential qualities of presence and absence, both emotionally and physically). This paper presents the argument that more attention should be directed to the (mis)alliance between the actual and the symbolic father (both of whom are always both present and absent in psychic life). It is noted that an actual father can be killed and mourned, whereas the symbolic father is "always already dead," and can neither be killed nor be mourned except in the crucial sense wherein we are all called to grieve the omnipotent fantasy/phantasy that we might not be "castrated"--to grieve the delusion that we might be able to speak from the locus of the "phallus," which is the generative position held exclusively by the symbolic father.

Reproductive history and involvement in pregnancy and childbirth of fathers of babies born to teenage mothers in Stockholm, Sweden.

PubMed

Ekeus, Cecilia; Christensson, Kyllike

2003-06-01

to describe and compare sexual and reproductive history as well as reactions to the pregnancy and attendance in antenatal care, family classes and childbirth of fathers of babies born to teenage mothers and fathers of babies born to average aged mothers. a descriptive comparative study using a structured questionnaire for data collection. eleven postnatal wards at the five obstetric and gynaecological departments in the Stockholm area. 132 fathers of babies born to primiparous teenage mothers (Group A) and the same number of fathers of babies born to primiparous women aged between 25-29 years (Group B) who were present in the postnatal wards. 43 of Group A compared to 17% of the Group B fathers had their first intercourse before 15 years of age. This early sexual debut was related to other health hazard, such as use of illicit drugs and cigarette smoking. The majority of the pregnancies in Group A were unplanned but most fathers reacted positively to the pregnancy and participated in the antenatal care. In contrast, only half of these fathers attended family classes. fathers of babies born to teenage mothers differed from fathers of babies to older mothers regarding reproductive background as well as involvement during pregnancy. The findings of this study challenge midwives to organise clinical practice in order to meet the specific needs of this group.

Midwives' perceptions and experiences of engaging fathers in perinatal services.

PubMed

Rominov, Holly; Giallo, Rebecca; Pilkington, Pamela D; Whelan, Thomas A

2017-08-01

The active engagement of fathers in maternity care is associated with long-term benefits for the father, their partner, and their child. Midwives are ideally placed to engage fathers, but few studies have explored midwives' experiences of working with men. Therefore, the aim of this study was to describe midwives' perceptions and experiences of engaging fathers in perinatal services. A multi-method approach was utilised. Registered midwives (N=106) providing perinatal services to families in Australia participated in an online survey. Of these, 13 also participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Descriptive analyses summarised the online survey data. The interview data were coded using semantic thematic analysis. Survey results indicated that midwives unanimously agreed that engaging fathers is part of their role and acknowledged the importance of receiving education to develop knowledge and skills about fathers. Analysis of the telephone interviews led to the identification of a range of strategies, facilitators and barriers to engaging fathers in midwifery services. Some of these were related to characteristics of midwives, factors related specifically to fathers, and several external factors relating to organisational policies. Findings from this study could inform maternity health care policies, as well the development of resources, education and ongoing professional training for midwives to promote father-inclusive practice. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neighborhood Qualification of the Association between Parenting and Problem Behavior Trajectories among Mexican-origin Father-Adolescent Dyads

PubMed Central

White, Rebecca M. B.; Liu, Yu; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Knight, George P.; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2016-01-01

To address the combined importance of fathers and neighborhoods for adolescent adjustment, we examined whether associations between fathers' parenting and adolescents' problem behaviors were qualified by neighborhood adversity. We captured both mainstream (e.g., authoritative) and alternative (e.g., no-nonsense, reduced involvement) parenting styles and examined parenting and neighborhood effects on changes over time in problem behaviors among a sample of Mexican-origin father-adolescent dyads (N = 462). Compared to their counterparts in low-adversity neighborhoods, adolescents in high-adversity neighborhoods experienced greater initial benefits from authoritative fathering, greater long-term benefits from no-nonsense fathering, and fewer costs associated with reduced involvement fathering. The combined influences of alternative paternal parenting styles and neighborhood adversity may set ethnic and racial minority adolescents on different developmental pathways to competence. PMID:28453217

Coming Out to Dad: Young Gay and Bisexual Men's Experiences Disclosing Same-Sex Attraction to Their Fathers.

PubMed

Jadwin-Cakmak, Laura A; Pingel, Emily S; Harper, Gary W; Bauermeister, José A

2015-07-01

Few studies have examined the relationship between young gay and bisexual men (YGBM) and their fathers. Based on a phenomenological framework, this study investigated the role of fathers in YGBM's coming-out experience, focusing on how fathers responded to disclosure of same-sex attraction, how fathers' responses compared with sons' expectations, and what sons perceived as having influenced their fathers' responses. Semistructured in-depth interviews with 30 gay and bisexual men aged 18 to 24 years were conducted as part of a larger study; topics explored in the interview included experiences coming out to family and others. Nineteen participants' narratives included discussion about their fathers and were included in the current analyses. The YGBM who were interviewed perceived a complex range of responses upon coming out to their fathers, ranging from enthusiastic acceptance to physical violence. Participants spoke of fathers who were accepting in different manners and who often held contradictory attitudes about same-sex attraction. Fathers' responses commonly differed from sons' expectations, which were informed by homophobic talk and gendered expectations. Sons spoke about what informed their expectations as well as what they perceived as influencing their fathers' responses, including gender norms, beliefs regarding the cause of same-sex attraction, religious and sociopolitical views, and concerns about HIV/AIDS. Particularly striking was the pervasive influence of hegemonic masculinity throughout the YGBM's stories. The implications of these findings for future research and intervention development are discussed, as well as study strengths and limitations. © The Author(s) 2014.

Father's brain is sensitive to childcare experiences

PubMed Central

Abraham, Eyal; Hendler, Talma; Shapira-Lichter, Irit; Kanat-Maymon, Yaniv; Zagoory-Sharon, Orna; Feldman, Ruth

2014-01-01

Although contemporary socio-cultural changes dramatically increased fathers' involvement in childrearing, little is known about the brain basis of human fatherhood, its comparability with the maternal brain, and its sensitivity to caregiving experiences. We measured parental brain response to infant stimuli using functional MRI, oxytocin, and parenting behavior in three groups of parents (n = 89) raising their firstborn infant: heterosexual primary-caregiving mothers (PC-Mothers), heterosexual secondary-caregiving fathers (SC-Fathers), and primary-caregiving homosexual fathers (PC-Fathers) rearing infants without maternal involvement. Results revealed that parenting implemented a global “parental caregiving” neural network, mainly consistent across parents, which integrated functioning of two systems: the emotional processing network including subcortical and paralimbic structures associated with vigilance, salience, reward, and motivation, and mentalizing network involving frontopolar-medial-prefrontal and temporo-parietal circuits implicated in social understanding and cognitive empathy. These networks work in concert to imbue infant care with emotional salience, attune with the infant state, and plan adequate parenting. PC-Mothers showed greater activation in emotion processing structures, correlated with oxytocin and parent-infant synchrony, whereas SC-Fathers displayed greater activation in cortical circuits, associated with oxytocin and parenting. PC-Fathers exhibited high amygdala activation similar to PC-Mothers, alongside high activation of superior temporal sulcus (STS) comparable to SC-Fathers, and functional connectivity between amygdala and STS. Among all fathers, time spent in direct childcare was linked with the degree of amygdala-STS connectivity. Findings underscore the common neural basis of maternal and paternal care, chart brain–hormone–behavior pathways that support parenthood, and specify mechanisms of brain malleability with caregiving experiences in human fathers. PMID:24912146

First-time parents' expectations about the division of childcare and play.

PubMed

Biehle, Susanne N; Mickelson, Kristin D

2012-02-01

The current study examines violated expectations regarding the division of childcare and play in first-time parents during the initial transition to parenthood. The study's goal was threefold: (a) to compare prenatal expectations with the reported postpartum division of childcare and play, (b) to compare the influence of the reported division versus violated expectations on postpartum relationship satisfaction and depression, and (c) to examine the role of persistent violations of expectations on these outcomes. Couples expecting their first child were interviewed during the third trimester of pregnancy and at 1 and 4 months postpartum. Results indicated both mothers and fathers have unrealistic expectations during pregnancy; interestingly, the direction violation was opposite but converging for mothers and fathers. As found in prior research, mothers experienced unmet expectations with fathers doing less than mothers expected. Fathers, on the other hand, experienced overmet expectations with mothers doing more than fathers expected. Violated expectations were also a stronger predictor of depression and relationship satisfaction than the reported division, although again in opposite directions for mothers and fathers. Unmet expectations were negative for mothers, while overmet expectations with regard to childcare tasks were beneficial for fathers. The one caveat was for fathers' overmet expectations with play; in this case, a mother playing with the baby more than a father expected was related to less relationship satisfaction. A similar pattern of results was found for mothers and fathers with persistent violations. This study highlights the importance of understanding violated expectations in both mothers and fathers, as well as examining play separately from childcare.

Roles, perceptions and control of infant feeding among low-income fathers.

PubMed

Anderson, Kirsten E; Nicklas, Jennifer C; Spence, Marsha; Kavanagh, Katherine

2010-04-01

Introduction of solid foods before the recommended age of 4-6 months is a common practice in the USA, and appears to be especially prevalent among infants who are enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Currently, little is known about how fathers influence early infant feeding decisions, outside the decision to breast- or formula-feed. The purpose of the current study was to explore how fathers perceive the role they play in feeding and caring for their infants. Participants were twenty-one male caregivers, who were fathers or partners of the mothers of WIC income-eligible infants residing in two rural East Tennessee counties. In-depth, audio-taped telephone interviews were completed. Interviews were transcribed, coded and analysed according to standard grounded theory procedures to identify emergent concepts. These concepts were explored and linked together to become themes. Three themes emerged: (i) fathers' roles; (ii) fathers' perceptions; and (iii) control. Concepts within the theme of fathers' roles included physical and emotional support for both mother and infant, validation of maternal decisions, and financial support. In the present study, fathers' perceptions were primarily shaped by their own experiences, advice from those with experience, and information sought by the fathers. The theme of control appears to be the linkage between the fathers' attempts to modify infant behaviour and infants' response. A final conceptual model was created to explain the interrelated nature of the themes and may be helpful to those who work with fathers and/or families of new infants.

An integrative review of fathers' experiences during pregnancy and childbirth.

PubMed

Poh, H L; Koh, S S L; He, H-G

2014-12-01

While fathers are increasingly expected to participate during their partners' pregnancies and childbirth and many studies have reported their experiences during these periods, no review studies have examined fathers' experiences and needs during pregnancy and childbirth together. To provide an overview of evidence on fathers' experiences and needs during their partners' pregnancies and childbirth to identify any gaps in the existing literature and practice. An integrative literature review was performed to analyse and synthesize fathers' experiences and/or needs during pregnancy and/or childbirth based on articles published in CINAHL, PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases between the years 2002 and 2012. Only articles found in the National University of Singapore's online library collection were retrieved. Altogether, 25 studies (six quantitative and 19 qualitative studies) that reported fathers' experiences during pregnancy (n = 8), childbirth (n = 13) or during both periods (n = 4) were reviewed. Fathers experienced mixed feelings both during pregnancy and childbirth. They required support from their partners and healthcare professionals and wanted to be informed, involved and respected. However, more studies are needed to explore this phenomenon in different cultural contexts or care models. This review provides evidence for healthcare professionals to pay more attention to fathers when delivering perinatal care. Sociocultural-sensitive interventions should be developed to facilitate a smoother transition to fatherhood. Father-specific information should be given to prepare fathers for pregnancy and childbirth. Healthcare professionals and policymakers should take fathers' feelings and concerns into consideration and provide family-centred care to the couple during the antenatal and intrapartum periods. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Father-Child Contact after Separation: The Influence of Living Arrangements

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swiss, Liam; Le Bourdais, Celine

2009-01-01

Following divorce or separation, father-child contact is deemed an important influence on child development. Previous research has explored the impact of sociodemographic and attitudinal factors on the amount of contact between fathers and their children following a union dissolution. This article revisits this important question using fathers'…

Issues and Problems Related to the Research on Teenage Fathers: A Critical Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Bryan E.; Barret, Robert L.

1982-01-01

Research on teenage pregnancies has usually neglected young fathers. Most studies ignore fathers entirely, or use data confused or confounded by biased reporting techniques. Retrospective and post hoc analyses often produce inaccurate conclusions, and subject samples often are unrepresentative. A closer examination of adolescent fathers is…

Mothers' and Fathers' Parenting Challenges, Strategies, and Resources in Toddlerhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwon, Kyong-Ah; Han, Suejung; Jeon, Hyun-Joo; Bingham, Gary E.

2013-01-01

This study examined mothers' and fathers' parenting challenges and strategies/resources used when parenting toddlers. Through a qualitative interview protocol, implemented with mothers and fathers separately at a university laboratory, this study found that both fathers and mothers appeared to be transitioning from traditional gender roles towards…

Paternal Attachment, Parenting Beliefs and Children's Attachment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Kimberly S.

2010-01-01

Relationships between fathers' romantic attachment style, parenting beliefs and father-child attachment security and dependence were examined in a diverse sample of 72 fathers of young children. Paternal romantic attachment style was coded based on fathers' endorsement of a particular style represented in the Hazan and Shaver Three-Category…

In-Home Observations of Young Down Syndrome Children with Their Mothers and Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoneman, Zolinda; And Others

1983-01-01

Sixteen mothers, fathers, and their four- to seven-year- old children (eight with Down's syndrome [DS], eight without disabilities) were observed interacting in their homes during three family groupings: (1) mother and child, (2) father and child, and (3) mother, father, and child. (Author/MCD)

Portraits of Fathers. Contemporary Family Trends.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubeau, Diane

Noting that a substantial research literature on fathers has been built over the last 20 years and that fathers can no longer be considered "the forgotten parent" of the scientific community, this paper summarizes key research on fathers while highlighting concerns regarding the current emphasis on fatherhood expressed by parents and…

Paternal Work Characteristics and Father-Infant Interactions in Low-Income, Rural Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, W. Benjamin; Crouter, Ann C.; Lanza, Stephanie T.; Cox, Martha J.

2008-01-01

To examine the implications of paternal occupational conditions for the quality of father-infant interactions, home visits, including interviews and videotaped observations of father-infant interactions, were conducted with 446 fathers living in six low-income, nonmetropolitan counties in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. When a variety of…

Fathers' and Mothers' Involvement with Their Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phares, Vicky; Fields, Sherecce; Kamboukos, Dimitra

2009-01-01

We explored mothers' and fathers' time spent with their adolescents and found that mothers reported spending more time with their adolescents than did fathers. Developmental patterns were found for some aspects of time involvement, with both mothers and fathers reporting higher involvement with younger adolescents. Ratings of time-spent were not…

Fathering Attitudes and Practices: Influences on Children's Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shears, Jeffrey; Robinson, Joann

2005-01-01

This study examined direct and indirect influences of fathers' reported parenting beliefs and practices on children's development. Participants included 525 fathers and mothers of toddlers enrolled in the Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project in 14 communities across the United States. Results show that fathers' modernity defined as…

38 CFR 3.59 - Parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... natural mother or father (including the mother of an illegitimate child or the father of an illegitimate child if the usual family relationship existed), mother or father through adoption, or a person who for...'s 21st birthday. Not more than one father and one mother, as defined, will be recognized in any case...

20 CFR 404.342 - Mother's and father's benefit amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Mother's and father's benefit amounts. 404... Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.342 Mother's and father's benefit amounts. Your mother's or father's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance...

38 CFR 3.59 - Parent.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... natural mother or father (including the mother of an illegitimate child or the father of an illegitimate child if the usual family relationship existed), mother or father through adoption, or a person who for...'s 21st birthday. Not more than one father and one mother, as defined, will be recognized in any case...

College Student Perceptions of the Content of Father Stereotypes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Troilo, Jessica; Coleman, Marilyn

2008-01-01

This study used a three-step procedure to examine 663 Midwestern university students' perceptions of the content of social stereotypes related to seven types of fathers. Married and adoptive fathers were the most positively stereotyped groups, and divorced residential fathers were also viewed quite positively. There were relatively neutral views…

Intrusive Fathering, Children's Self-Regulation and Social Skills: A Mediation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, M.; Crnic, K.

2013-01-01

Background: Fathers have unique influences on children's development, and particularly in the development of social skills. Although father-child relationship influences on children's social competence have received increased attention in general, research on fathering in families of children with developmental delays (DD) is scant. This study…

Adolescents with Nonresident Fathers: Are Daughters More Disadvantaged than Sons?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Katherine Stamps; Booth, Alan; King, Valarie

2009-01-01

This study examined sons' and daughters' involvement with nonresident fathers and associated outcomes (N = 4,663). Results indicated that sons and daughters reported equal involvement with nonresident fathers on most measures of father investment, although sons reported more overnight visits, sports, and movies and feeling closer to their fathers…

Interactive Silences within Spontaneous Early Infant-Father "Dialogues"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kokkinaki, Theano

2008-01-01

The present longitudinal and naturalistic study aims to investigate infants' and fathers' facial expressions of emotions during pauses preceding and following spontaneous early infant-father conversation. Studying emotional expressions in the course of pauses in early infant-father interaction is important because it may extend our knowledge on…

Father's Involvement and Affect to Infant: "More" May Not Be "Better."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, William T.

Both the popular and professional literatures commonly suggest that the more involvement by fathers in their infants' routine care the better. However, empirical support for this position is far from conclusive. Although several researchers have reported a positive relationship between father involvement and father-infant relations, others have…

20 CFR 404.342 - Mother's and father's benefit amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.342 Mother's and father's benefit amounts. Your mother's or father's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Mother's and father's benefit amounts. 404...

20 CFR 404.342 - Mother's and father's benefit amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.342 Mother's and father's benefit amounts. Your mother's or father's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Mother's and father's benefit amounts. 404...

20 CFR 404.342 - Mother's and father's benefit amounts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.342 Mother's and father's benefit amounts. Your mother's or father's monthly benefit is equal to 75 percent of the insured person's primary insurance... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Mother's and father's benefit amounts. 404...

Associations between Individual and Family Level Characteristics and Parenting Practices in Incarcerated African American Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Modecki, Kathryn L.; Wilson, Melvin N.

2009-01-01

We investigated the reported parenting practices of fifty incarcerated African American fathers. Fathers were interviewed using hypothetical vignettes adapted from the Parenting Dimensions Inventory (PDI) and received scores on two parenting practices: responsive and restrictive. Father's individual level (education and length of time spent…

"Daddy, Read to Me": Fathers Helping Their Young Children Learn to Read.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Robert W.; McCarty, Laurie L.

1997-01-01

Reports that not much is known about the role of fathers' involvement in their children's early reading development. Provides background information concerning research into fathers' involvement in early literacy development. Offers various suggestions on encouraging fathers to become involved with their children's early literacy activities. (PA)

Nonresident Father Involvement: Do Mothers and Fathers See Eye-to-Eye? An Investigation of the Impact of Reporting Discrepancies on Parameter Estimates

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Profile of Nonresident Fathers and Their Ability to Pay Child Support. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 59 (November 1997): 785-797. Note: Both...DHHS, June 2000.; Sorensen, E. (1997). A National Profile of Nonresident Fathers and Their Ability to Pay Child Support. Journal of Marriage and the...of their child . 5 As such, a profile of nonresident fathers whose children were born out- of-wedlock must be compiled from surveys of men

Walking a high beam: the balance between employment stability, workplace flexibility, and nonresident father involvement.

PubMed

Castillo, Jason T; Welch, Greg W; Sarver, Christian M

2012-03-01

Compared with resident fathers, nonresident fathers are more likely to be unemployed or underemployed and less likely, when they are employed, to have access to flexible work arrangements. Although lack of employment stability is associated with lower levels of father involvement, some research shows that increased stability at work without increased flexibility is negatively related to involvement. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 895), the authors examined the relationship between nonresident fathers' employment stability, workplace flexibility, and father involvement. Results indicate that workplace flexibility, but not employment stability, is associated with higher levels of involvement. Policy and practice implications are discussed.

Adult Children of Gay Fathers: Parent-Child Relationship Quality and Mental Health.

PubMed

Tornello, Samantha L; Patterson, Charlotte J

2018-01-01

According to family systems theory, parent-child relationships are an important aspect of individual wellbeing. This study explored associations among parental disclosure, parent-child relationships, and wellbeing among 84 adult children with gay fathers. We explored associations between the adult children's wellbeing and the children's ages at sexual orientation disclosure, geographic distance, relationship quality, and closeness with their fathers. We found that when parental disclosure had occurred earlier in the adult child's life, participants reported feeling closer to fathers in adulthood. Those who reported closer relationships with their fathers reported greater wellbeing. Using a stepwise regression, we found that adult children's reports of closeness with fathers were the best predictors of adult children's wellbeing.

Fathers, sons, and sexual orientation: replication of a Bieber hypothesis.

PubMed

Friedman, R C; Stern, L O

1980-01-01

This retrospective study compares memories of the father-son relationship between lifelong socially well-adjusted, non-patient homosexual and heterosexual men. No homosexual subject reported the presence of a reasonably intact, positive relationship with his father or father surrogate during preadolescent years, whereas 12 of the 17 heterosexual men did. Previous investigators have hypothesized that a constructive, supportive father-son relationship precludes the development of homosexual orientation. This hypothesis stemmed from investigation of men who in general suffered from significant global psychopathology. The data in the present investigation supports the notion that a meaningful association, which is not attributable to confounding psychopathology, exists between quality of father-son relationship during early life and male sexual orientation.

The father's parenting experience in divorce.

PubMed

Friedman, H J

1980-10-01

The author discusses the father-child relationship as it is influenced by divorce. Psychiatrists are often consulted by individuals considering dovorce who are concerned about its probable impact on their children. Data gathered from the treatment of fathers during divorce indicate that there can be positive changes in their parental bonds as a result of increased opportunities to relate to children in a conflict-free atmosphere. In such a setting, the father's nurturing experience provides him with a new perspective on parenting. Psychotherapeutic help can lead to a strengthening of parental bonds, with subsequent benefits to both father and child. The author encourages professionals to support men in improving their fathering during the postdivorce period.

Paternal Incarceration and Father-Child Contact in Fragile Families.

PubMed

Geller, Amanda

2013-10-01

High rates of incarceration in the United States have motivated a broad examination of the effects of parental incarceration on child well-being. Although a growing literature documents challenges facing the children of incarcerated men, most incarcerated fathers lived apart from their children before their arrest, raising questions of whether they were sufficiently involved with their families for their incarceration to affect their children. The author used the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,071) to examine father-child contact among incarcerated fathers and found that most incarcerated fathers maintained a degree of contact with their children, through either coresidence or visitation. Moreover, the results revealed robust reductions in both father-child coresidence and visitation when fathers are incarcerated-between 18% and 20% for coresidence, and 30% to 50% for the probability of visitation. The findings suggest that these reductions are driven by both incapacitation while incarcerated and union dissolution upon release.

Maternal Re-Partnering and New-Partner Fertility: Associations with Nonresident Father Investments in Children

PubMed Central

Berger, Lawrence M.; Cancian, Maria; Meyer, Daniel R.

2011-01-01

Research suggests that paternal re-partnering and new-partner fertility are associated with decreased nonresident father investments in children. Few studies, however, have examined the influence of maternal re-partnering and new-partner births on nonresident father investments. We use data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth to examine associations of maternal re-partnering (through cohabitation or marriage with a new partner) and new-partner births with nonresident father visitation and child support payments. Results suggest that maternal re-partnering is associated with a decrease in both yearly father-child contact and child support received by the mother. New-partner fertility for mothers who are co-residing with a partner is associated with an additional decrease in monthly father-child contact, but does not have an additional influence on yearly father-child contact or child support receipt. PMID:22581998

Coercive and Prosocial Fathering, Antisocial Personality, and Growth in Children's Post-Divorce Noncompliance

PubMed Central

DeGarmo, David S.

2009-01-01

The study employed multiple methods including direct observation of fathering behaviors and child noncompliance to better address our understanding of the quantity and quality of divorced father contact. A weighted county sample of 230 divorced-father families with a focal child aged 4 to 11 years was employed to test whether fathers' antisocial personality (ASP) moderated effects of monthly contact with children in predicting children's observed noncompliance over 18 months. Latent growth models obtained significant individual differences in levels of noncompliance and growth rates. ASP significantly moderated the beneficial impact of fathers' monthly contact. Fathers' observed parenting practices significantly predicted levels but not growth rates. Parenting did not account for the effect of Contact × ASP suggesting both environmental and potentially genetic influences on child adjustment. Findings were robust across boys and girls and age levels. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed. PMID:20438456

FATHER PLAY: IS IT SPECIAL?

PubMed

Cabrera, Natasha J; Roggman, Lori

2017-11-01

Both mothers and fathers play with their children, but research on parent-child play interactions is conducted with mothers three times more often than it is with fathers. The articles in this special issue address this gap by focusing on the nature and quality of father-child play, across cultural contexts, and considering whether father play offers something unique and special for early human development, in infancy or early childhood. The studies show that fathers can be just as developmentally supportive as are mothers in terms of being playful and engaged with their children in ways that are related to greater child socioemotional competence, emotion regulation, and vocabulary, and to less aggression, anxiety, and negativity. We encourage future research to examine the cultural influences, family system dynamics, and specificity of timing and types of father-child play in relation to children's developmental competence. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in the Philippines.

PubMed

Alampay, Liane Peña; Jocson, Rosanne M

2011-07-29

OBJECTIVE.: This paper investigates the mean level and within-family similarities and differences in Filipino mothers' and fathers' attributions about success and failure in caregiving situations, and their progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes. DESIGN.: Both mothers and fathers in 95 families in metropolitan Manila completed interviews. RESULTS.: Controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias, there was a significant gender difference in modernity of attitudes, with mothers exhibiting higher levels of modernity than fathers. There was a strong correlation in mothers' and fathers' authoritarian attitudes and moderate correlations in modernity of attitudes. There were neither parent gender effects nor concordance in the attributions of mothers and fathers. CONCLUSIONS.: Cultural explanations are presented to account for the findings, specifically the sociocultural values that foster traditional attitudes favoring parental authority and child obedience, and the differences in gender and family roles of Filipino mothers and fathers.

Human affection exchange: VI. Further tests of reproductive probability as a predictor of men's affection with their adult sons.

PubMed

Floyd, Kory; Sargent, Jack E; Di Corcia, Mark

2004-04-01

The authors examined the communication of affection in men's relationships with their fathers. Drawing from Affection Exchange Theory, the authors advanced four predictions: (a) heterosexual men receive more affection from their own fathers than do homosexual or bisexual men, (b) fathers communicate affection to their sons more through supportive activities than through direct verbal statements or nonverbal gestures, (c) affectionate communication between fathers and sons is linearly related to closeness and interpersonal involvement between them, and (d) fathers' awareness of their sons' sexual orientation is associated with the amount of affection that the fathers communicate to them. Participants were 170 adult men who completed questionnaires regarding affectionate communication in their relationships with their fathers. Half of the men were self-identified as exclusively heterosexual, and the other half were self-identified as exclusively homosexual or bisexual. The results supported all predictions substantially.

Neighborhood Qualification of the Association Between Parenting and Problem Behavior Trajectories Among Mexican-Origin Father-Adolescent Dyads.

PubMed

White, Rebecca M B; Liu, Yu; Gonzales, Nancy A; Knight, George P; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2016-12-01

To address the combined importance of fathers and neighborhoods for adolescent adjustment, we examined whether associations between fathers' parenting and adolescents' problem behaviors were qualified by neighborhood adversity. We captured both mainstream (e.g., authoritative) and alternative (e.g., no-nonsense, reduced involvement) parenting styles and examined parenting and neighborhood effects on changes over time in problem behaviors among a sample of Mexican-origin father-adolescent dyads (N = 462). Compared to their counterparts in low-adversity neighborhoods, adolescents in high-adversity neighborhoods experienced greater initial benefits from authoritative fathering, greater long-term benefits from no-nonsense fathering, and fewer costs associated with reduced involvement fathering. The combined influences of alternative paternal parenting styles and neighborhood adversity may set ethnic and racial minority adolescents on different developmental pathways to competence. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research on Adolescence © 2016 Society for Research on Adolescence.

Attributions and Attitudes of Mothers and Fathers in Sweden.

PubMed

Sorbring, Emma; Gurdal, Sevtap

2011-07-01

OBJECTIVE: The present study examined mean level similarities and differences as well as correlations between mothers' and fathers' attributions regarding successes and failures in caregiving situations and progressive versus authoritarian attitudes. DESIGN: Interviews were conducted with both mothers and fathers in 77 Swedish families. RESULTS: Fathers reported higher adult-controlled failure and child-controlled failure attributions than did mothers; these differences remained significant after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias. Significant positive correlations were found for mothers' and fathers' progressive attitudes, authoritarian attitudes, and modernity of attitudes after controlling for parents' age, education, and possible social desirability bias. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that in Sweden fathers are more likely to attribute failures in caregiving situations both to themselves and to children than are mothers and that there is moderate concordance between fathers and mothers within the same family in progressive and authoritarian parenting attitudes.

[Burden of mothers and fathers of persons with schizophrenia].

PubMed

Friedrich, Fabian; Gross, Rainer; Wrobel, Margit; Klug, Günter; Unger, Annemarie; Fellinger, Matthäus; Süßenbacher, Stefanie; Freidl, Marion; Saumer, Gertraud; Wancata, Johannes

2015-05-01

Most studies about the burden of schizophrenia carers included only one care-giving relative, usually the patients' mothers. The present study intended to analyse differences of the level of burden between mothers and fathers of the same patients. 101 mothers and 101 fathers of the same patients suffering from schizophrenia were included into this study. They were assessed by means of the "Involvement Evaluation Questionnaire" and the "Carers' Needs Assessment for Schizophrenia". Mothers showed significantly higher scores than fathers regarding the subscores "Tensions" and "Urging". Multiple linear regression analyses showed positive associations between the frequency of mothers' as well as fathers' unmet needs and dimensions of caregiver involvement. Unmet needs among mothers and fathers have negative effects on their burden. The differences between mothers and fathers indicate the importance of considering the carer's gender in clinical work. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

African American Fathers' Occupational Participation: "Keeping the Mothers in a Positive Vibe".

PubMed

Pizur-Barnekow, Kris; Pate, David; Lazar, Katie; Paul, Nelly; Pritchard, Kathleen; Morris, George

2017-10-01

Infant mortality is a major public health issue in the United States that disproportionally affects African Americans. Evidence suggests reducing stress on African American women and engaging African American fathers may improve health and social outcomes for families. This study sought to understand the experiences of African American fathers through a positivistic lens and to inform future interventions that support father engagement. A descriptive, qualitative study using the Person, Environment, Occupation-Performance (PEO-P) model as a framework for analysis was conducted involving 45 fathers participating in four focus groups and one member-checking group. An initial content analysis was followed by constant comparative methods to identify categories related to the PEO-P model. Transcripts revealed a range of factors that enable or inhibit fathers' occupational performance and engagement including environmental barriers such as societal expectations and perceptions. Occupational therapy practitioners may utilize population health approaches to support African American fathers' occupational engagement.

Parenting Stress among Low-Income and Working-Class Fathers: The Role of Employment.

PubMed

Nomaguchi, Kei; Johnson, Wendi

2016-08-01

Contemporary norms of fatherhood emphasize the dual demands of breadwinning and daily involvement in childcare. Recent qualitative research suggests that working-class fathers find it difficult to meet these demands due to job instability and workplace inflexibility. Yet, little quantitative research has examined how employment characteristics are related to fathers' parenting stress, in comparison with mothers'. Analyses using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( N = 3,165) show that unemployment and workplace inflexibility, but not overwork, multiple jobs, odd-jobs, and nonstandard hours, are related to more parenting stress for fathers. Although these two factors are also related to more parenting stress for mothers, nuanced gender differences emerged: these are better predictors than other parental or child characteristics for fathers only, and the effect size of workplace inflexibility is greater for fathers than mothers. In sum, securing a job with flexible schedule is central to reducing fathers' parenting stress.

Training Fathers To Develop Reading and Writing Skills in Young Children with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Robert W.; Stile, Stephen W.

The potential benefits of father participation in their children's reading and writing activities include improved literacy skills, increased bonding, and heightened self-esteem of both fathers and children. This paper identifies a training model for working with fathers--Project DADS. Using this model, early childhood professionals can foster…

Comparing Fathers' Physical and Toy Play and Links to Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

St George, Jennifer; Fletcher, Richard; Palazzi, Kerrin

2017-01-01

Increasing amounts of research show that fathers' involvement in children's lives contributes to the child's social, emotional and cognitive development; however, much of the evidence comes from fathers' caregiving and object play. This exploratory study compared the characteristics of 24 Australian fathers' play in two contexts--toy play and…

Coercive and Prosocial Fathering, Antisocial Personality, and Growth in Children's Postdivorce Noncompliance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeGarmo, David Scott

2010-01-01

To better understand quantity and quality of divorced father contact, a weighted county sample of 230 divorced fathers with a child aged 4-11 years was employed to test whether fathers' antisocial personality (ASP) moderated effects of monthly contact with children in predicting children's observed noncompliance. Eighteen-month latent growth…

Fathers' Participation in Parental Leave.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Linda

1987-01-01

Summarized are findings from an investigation of Swedish parents, who were studied to discover barriers to fathers taking time off from work to care for a newborn. Discussion focuses on: (1) fathers' participation in parental leave; (2) parents who take leave, and why; (3) barriers to fathers' participation in parental leave; (4) the potential of…

The Development of Father-Child Attachment: Associations between Adult Attachment Representations, Recollections of Childhood Experiences and Caregiving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFarland-Piazza, Laura; Hazen, Nancy; Jacobvitz, Deborah; Boyd-Soisson, Erin

2012-01-01

The association between fathers' adult attachment representations and their recollections of childhood experiences with their caregiving quality with their eight-month-old infants and with father-infant attachment classification was examined in a longitudinal study of 117 fathers and their infants. Sensitive caregiving was related to…

Fathers and Adolescents: Developmental and Clinical Perspectives. Adolescence and Society Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shulman, Shmuel; Seiffge-Krenke, Inge

The family itself and men's roles within traditional nuclear families are changing; non-custodial fathers, stepfathers, and absent fathers are commonplace. This book examines the relationships of fathers to their adolescent sons, and daughters, in the context of a changing society. Chapter one explores both the historical and the changing role of…

Resident Fathers' Pregnancy Intentions, Prenatal Behaviors, and Links to Involvement with Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Ryan, Suzanne; Carrano, Jennifer; Moore, Kristen A.

2007-01-01

Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort, 9-month resident father surveys (N= 6,816), this paper examines the association between male pregnancy intentions, prenatal behaviors, and postbirth father involvement. Findings indicate that prenatal behaviors are associated with five domains of father involvement. Men who did…

A Culturally Responsive Literacy Program for Hispanic Fathers and Their Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saracho, Olivia N.

2010-01-01

This study examined a language and cultural literacy program for Hispanic fathers to promote their children's literacy development. This study had two phases: (a) training the teachers and (b) educating the fathers. The results indicated that the fathers learned how to promote their Hispanic children's literacy development using their family's…

The Behavioral Effects of Father Absence on Children and Their Mothers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, E. Doyle; And Others

1982-01-01

Investigated effect of father presence or absence in the home in New York City families: welfare AFDC families and lower-middle income families. Results indicated that children of surrogate fathers revealed significantly more behavioral difficulties. Cross-section children and mothers were more adversely affected by father absence than others.…

A Single Father's Shopping Bag: Purchasing Decisions in Single-Father Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziol-Guest, Kathleen M.

2009-01-01

Using data from the 1980 to 2003 panels of the Consumer Expenditure Survey, this article examines purchasing decisions in father-headed single-parent families. Single-father expenditures are compared to both married-parent expenditures and single-mother expenditures on 17 broad categories of household-level goods and services. Multivariate…

Associations among Attachment Classifications of Mothers, Fathers, and Their Infants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Howard; And Others

1996-01-01

Tested 90 infants in the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) with both parents. Found that mothers' Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) scores predicted infant-mother SSPs and fathers' AAIs predicted infant-father SSPs. Counter to expectation, infant-father SSPs were associated with infant-mother SSPs, which might be explained by the influence of…

A Qualitative Study of Homeless Fathers: Exploring Parenting and Gender Role Transitions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schindler, Holly S.; Coley, Rebekah L.

2007-01-01

The present qualitative research focuses on homeless fathers living with their children in family shelters. Data were collected through semistructured, face-to-face interviews with homeless fathers (n = 9) and shelter directors (n = 3). Findings suggest that how fathers made meaning of their experiences in a homeless shelter was related to…

Paternal Work Stress and Latent Profiles of Father-Infant Parenting Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, W. Benjamin; Crouter, Ann C.; Lanza, Stephanie T.; Cox, Martha J.; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2011-01-01

The current study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to examine the implications of fathers' experiences of work stress for paternal behaviors with infants across multiple dimensions of parenting in a sample of fathers living in nonmetropolitan communities (N = 492). LPA revealed five classes of fathers based on levels of social-affective…

Anticipating Father Reentry: A Qualitative Study of Children's and Mothers' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yocum, Annie; Nath, Sanjay

2011-01-01

Utilizing a grounded theory analysis of interviews with 17 children and their 8 mothers anticipating a father's prison release within 12 months, the authors propose a theory of participants' experiences, focused on the child-father aspects of reentry. Among other expectations, all participants wanted fathers to be involved with the children after…

New Measure for Fathers of Children with Developmental Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ly, A. R.; Goldberg, W. A.

2014-01-01

Background: There is a relative lack of measures tailored to the study of fathers of children with developmental challenges (DCs). The goal of the current study was to create and validate a brief measure designed to capture the perceptions and experiences of these fathers. The Fathers of Children with Developmental Challenges (FCDC) questionnaire…

Mindful Parenting and Care Involvement of Fathers of Children with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacDonald, Elaine E.; Hastings, Richard P.

2010-01-01

There are few data addressing psychological variables that may explain some variation in parenting by fathers of children with intellectual disabilities. In the present study, we hypothesized that fathers who were more mindful in their parenting role (specifically, fathers who reported more present-centered attention in their relationship with…

20 CFR 404.341 - When mother's and father's benefits begin and end.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false When mother's and father's benefits begin and... Benefits; Period of Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.341 When mother's and father's benefits begin and end. (a) You are entitled to mother's or father's benefits beginning with the...

20 CFR 404.341 - When mother's and father's benefits begin and end.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false When mother's and father's benefits begin and... Benefits; Period of Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.341 When mother's and father's benefits begin and end. (a) You are entitled to mother's or father's benefits beginning with the...

38 CFR 10.34 - Proof of age of dependent mother or father.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... mother or father. 10.34 Section 10.34 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADJUSTED COMPENSATION Adjusted Compensation; General § 10.34 Proof of age of dependent mother or father. The mother or father of a veteran to be entitled to the presumption of dependency within the...

38 CFR 10.34 - Proof of age of dependent mother or father.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... mother or father. 10.34 Section 10.34 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS ADJUSTED COMPENSATION Adjusted Compensation; General § 10.34 Proof of age of dependent mother or father. The mother or father of a veteran to be entitled to the presumption of dependency within the...

Fathers Caring for Children: Research and Resources.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seward, Rudy Ray; Yeatts, Dale E.

This paper reviews studies examining the amount of time spent by fathers and mothers in child care activities, characteristics of fathers who spend more time with their children, ways to enhance fathers' child care performance, and the role of parent education in fatherhood. The paper also contains a list of organizations providing resources or…

A Waitlist-Controlled Trial of Behavioral Parent Training for Fathers of Children with ADHD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fabiano, Gregory A.; Pelham, William E.; Cunningham, Charles E.; Yu, Jihnhee; Gangloff, Brian; Buck, Melina; Linke, Stuart; Gormley, Matthew; Gera, Shradha

2012-01-01

Fathers, in general, have been underrepresented in studies of parent training outcome for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and the present study aimed to investigate the efficacy of a behavioral parent training program developed expressly for fathers. The present investigation randomly assigned 55 fathers of children…

Stress and Fathers' Parental Competence: Implications for Family Life and Parent Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBride, Brent A.

1989-01-01

Examined the relationship between fathers' parental stress and their perceived sense of competence in parenting roles. Regression analyses of data from 94 fathers suggest that fathers' depression in their parental role and perceptions of their children's demandingness are the best predictors of their perceived parental competence. (Author/TE)

Psychological Distress of Fathers Attending an Australian Early Parenting Service for Early Parenting Difficulties

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Giallo, Rebecca; Cooklin, Amanda; Zerman, Nikki; Vittorino, Renzo

2013-01-01

Background: Early parenting centres are in a unique position to identify and provide support to fathers experiencing mental health difficulties. However, the extent to which fathers attending these services experience mental health difficulties is not known. This study aimed to assess fathers' mental health, identify specific clinical profiles…

Father Involvement in Urban Low-Income Fathers: Baseline Associations and Changes Resulting from Preventive Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rienks, Shauna L.; Wadsworth, Martha E.; Markman, Howard J.; Einhorn, Lindsey; Etter, Erica Moran

2011-01-01

This study investigates father involvement among a sample of ethnically diverse, low-income men participating in a randomized controlled trial of a 14-hour relationship education program that teaches skills and principles for healthy relationships. Utilizing data from 137 fathers, we examined contextual, individual, and coparental relationship…

Father Beliefs as a Mediator between Contextual Barriers and Father Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Harry; Newland, Lisa A.; Coyl, Diana D.

2008-01-01

Fathers' beliefs were examined as mediators between multiple risk factors and involvement practices with children age zero to five enrolled in Head Start or Early Head Start. A diverse sample of 101 fathers, living in rural Midwestern communities of the USA completed questionnaires assessing "mediators" (i.e. parenting efficacy, role beliefs, and…

Fathers and Intergenerational Transmission in Social Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannen, Julia; Parutis, Violetta; Mooney, Ann; Wigfall, Valerie

2011-01-01

This article takes an intergenerational lens to the study of fathers. It draws on evidence from two economic and social research council-funded intergenerational studies of fathers, one of which focused on four-generation British families and the other which included new migrant (Polish) fathers. The article suggests both patterns of change and…

Father-Friendly Classrooms: Making a Space for Dads of Children with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pancsofar, Nadya; Petroff, Jerry G.; Lewis, Alex

2017-01-01

Father-child interactions can positively influence child development and learning, and greater father involvement in children's education can support overall positive family functioning, especially in families with children with disabilities. As the number of dual-earner families in America has increased, more and more fathers have assumed care…

Fathers' Early Emotion Talk: Associations with Income, Ethnicity, and Family Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrett-Peters, Patricia; Mills-Koonce, Roger; Zerwas, Stephanie; Cox, Martha; Vernon-Feagans, Lynne

2011-01-01

Contextual, mother-, child-, and father-level variables were examined in association with fathers' emotion talk to infants during a shared picture book activity, in an ethnically diverse, low-income sample (N = 549). Significant main effects included the rate of emotion talk from fathers' romantic partners (i.e., the infant's mother), infant…

Variations of Fathering: Implications for Social Policy. Single Fathers with Custody: Implications for Social Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanson, Shirley May Harmon

This document summarizes current knowledge about single custodial fathers, and draws implications for social policy. Through a review of the literature, the following characteristics of single fathers are described: socioeconomic status, race, custody status, religion, age, employment, parental history, homemaking skills, motivation for custody,…

Fathers' Knowledge of Their Youth's Unsafe Behaviors on the Farm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoneman, Zolinda; Jinnah, Hamida Amirali; Rains, Glen C.

2016-01-01

The study discussed in this article examined the extent to which fathers were aware of unsafe farm behaviors engaged in by their youth. Fathers and youth provided information about the youth's behaviors on the farm, particularly related to tractors/large equipment. Fathers indicated whether they were familiar with the North American Guidelines for…

Cognitive and Emotional Differences between Abusive and Non-Abusive Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Francis, Karen J.; Wolfe, David A.

2008-01-01

Objective: Abusive fathers perpetrate a substantial portion of child physical abuse. Despite this, little is known about how they differ from non-abusive fathers. This study compared a broad range of cognitive and affective factors between physically abusive and non-abusive fathers. Methods: Abusive (n = 24) and non-abusive (n = 25) fathers…

Identity Theory as a Guide to Understanding Fathers' Involvement with Their Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rane, Thomas R.; McBride, Brent A.

2000-01-01

Using identity theory to explore father's involvement with their children, 89 married couples with preschool children completed questionnaires and interviews on how involved they were in child-rearing activities. Results indicated that fathers did not differ on any involvement measures. However, fathers who considered the nurturing role highly…

Father Involvement among Malay Muslims in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juhari, Rumaya; Yaacob, Siti Nor; Talib, Mansor Abu

2013-01-01

This article reports on findings from a study of 989 fathers of school-going children aged 10 through 16 from intact families in rural and urban areas in Selangor, Malaysia. The study aims to explore the factors that affect father involvement among Malay Muslims. Results indicate that fathers' education, marital quality, and number of children are…

Fathers' Emotional Resources and Children's Socioemotional and Behavioral Adjustment among Children with Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Yagon, Michal

2011-01-01

This study examined a cumulative model of risk/protective factors at the individual level (child's sense of coherence; attachment with father) and family level as manifested by fathers' emotional resources (fathers' negative/positive affect; attachment avoidance/anxiety), to explain socioemotional adjustment among children age 8-12 years with or…

Single Custodial Fathers' Involvement and Parenting: Implications for Outcomes in Emerging Adulthood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Scott, Mindy E.; Lilja, Emily

2010-01-01

Using a sample of 3,977 youths from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), this study examines the unique characteristics of single-custodial-father families with adolescents and the effects of single fathers' involvement and parenting on outcomes in emerging adulthood. Findings suggest that single-custodial-father families are…

Fathers' Parenting Hassles and Coping: Associations with Emotional Expressiveness and Their Sons' Socioemotional Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Phillip A.; Reese-Weber, Marla; Kahn, Jeffrey H.

2007-01-01

The present study examined fathers' daily parenting hassles and coping strategies to (a) determine their association with fathers' emotional expressiveness and (b) predict their sons' development of socioemotional competence. Fathers of 148 preschool-aged boys reported on their parenting hassles, coping strategies, and emotional expressiveness;…

Parental Beliefs about Nonresident Fathers' Obligations and Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, I-Fen; McLanahan, Sara S.

2007-01-01

We examine whether parents rely on principles of equity or equality in making judgments about nonresident fathers' obligations and rights. The data are taken from the first wave of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The analysis sample includes 4,304 new mothers and 3,414 new fathers. Results indicate that fathers perceive obligations…

Father involvement moderates the effect of maternal depression during a child's infancy on child behavior problems in kindergarten.

PubMed

Mezulis, Amy H; Hyde, Janet Shibley; Clark, Roseanne

2004-12-01

This research investigated whether father involvement in infancy may reduce or exacerbate the well-established adverse effect of maternal depression during a child's infancy on behavior problems in childhood. In a community sample (N = 350), the authors found that fathers' self-reported parenting styles interacted with the amount of time fathers spent caring for their infants to moderate the longitudinal effect of maternal depression during the child's infancy on children's internalizing, but not externalizing, behaviors. Low to medium amounts of high-warmth father involvement and high amounts of medium- or high-control father involvement at this time were associated with lower child internalizing behaviors. Paternal depression during a child's infancy exacerbated the effect of maternal depression, but this moderating effect was limited to depressed fathers spending medium to high amounts of time caring for their infants. Results emphasize the moderating role fathers may play in reducing or exacerbating the adverse long-term effects of maternal depression during a child's infancy on later child behavior problems. ((c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved).

Exploring the Lived Experience, Meaning and Imperatives of Fatherhood: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis

PubMed Central

Eskandari, Narges; Simbar, Masoumeh; Vadadhir, Abou Ali; Baghestani, Ahmad Reza

2016-01-01

Introduction: There have been considerable changes in the concept and meaning of fatherhood in the past few decades and a lot of studies has down in this area, but there is no information about fathering and fatherhood from Iranian perspective, thus present study designed to explore the men’s understanding of fathering and paternal role during their first year of transition to parenthood. Method: This phenomenological study included accounts of 17 Iranian fathers, who had experienced fathering for the first time. Data was analyzed using the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach. Results: The results reveal that a father is a man who reproduces a child and accepts the responsibility for supporting his family as the fulcrum. A father is a good-tempered, faithful, patient and hardworking man with essential knowledge and proficiency. A father should accept his role as the father. He is also expected to participate actively in dealing with family daily issues, value and promote the health and well-being of his children, and have skills of self-management and self-care. Conclusion: Iranian fathers not only committed to play their traditional roles and responsibilities, but also welcome new roles such as constantly being with their children and providing emotional support to them. PMID:27157163

The Longitudinal Association Between Early Childhood Obesity and Fathers' Involvement in Caregiving and Decision-Making.

PubMed

Wong, Michelle S; Jones-Smith, Jessica C; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Thorpe, Roland J; Bleich, Sara N; Chan, Kitty S

2017-10-01

Fathers have increased their involvement in child caregiving; however, their changing role in childhood obesity is understudied. This study assessed the longitudinal association between changes in obesity among children aged 2 to 4 years and changes in fathers' involvement with raising children. Longitudinal data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort were used to conduct child fixed-effects linear and logistic regression analyses to assess the association between changes in childhood obesity-related outcomes (sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, screen time, BMI z score, overweight/obesity, obesity) and fathers' involvement with raising children (caregiving and influencing child-related decisions). Fixed-effects models control for all time-invariant characteristics. Analyses were controlled for time-varying confounders, including child age, maternal and paternal employment, and family poverty status. Children whose fathers increased their frequency of taking children outside and involvement with physical childcare experienced a decrease in their odds of obesity from age 2 to age 4. Obesity-related outcomes were not associated with fathers' decision-making influence. Increases in fathers' involvement with some aspects of caregiving may be associated with lower odds of childhood obesity. Encouraging fathers to increase their involvement with raising children and including fathers in childhood obesity prevention efforts may help reduce obesity risk among young children. © 2017 The Obesity Society.

[Father-Child-Contact and Well-being of the Children in Separated and Non-Separated Families].

PubMed

Werneck, Harald; Eder, Maximilian O; Ebner, Simone; Werneck-Rohrer, Sonja

2015-01-01

Father-Child-Contact and Well-being of the Children in Separated and Non-Separated Families This study investigated determinants of the contact between children and fathers after parental separation and the interplay of family status (non-separated vs. separated families), father-child relationship-quality and child's well-being. We compared 254 adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, from non-separated and separated families, by administering an adaptation of the "Inventory of Life Quality in Children and Adolescents" (Mattejat u. Remschmidt, 1998) and the scale emotionality of the FPI-R (Fahrenberg, Hampel, Selg, 2000). Contact between fathers and children after parental separation was mainly associated with parental conflict and contact during and after the separation. No significant associations were found with age and gender of the child, maternal remarriage or paternal education. The relationship to the father mediated the effects of family arrangement on different measures of child well-being. In separated families children with little contact to their fathers showed worse relationships to them compared to children in intact families. Good father-child relationships were positively associated with different measures of children's well-being. A central conclusion of this study is, that the father-child relationship is an important source for child's well-being.

The role of the father in child sleep disturbance: child, parent, and parent-child relationship.

PubMed

Millikovsky-Ayalon, Maaian; Atzaba-Poria, Naama; Meiri, Gal

2015-01-01

The majority of studies on child sleep problems focus primarily on mothers, neglecting paternal influences. Guided by the transactional framework, we explored how child temperament, paternal and maternal stress, and the parent-child interactions differ between families having children with sleep disturbances and a selected comparison group. The role of paternal involvement in child caregiving as a moderator of these differences was assessed. The sample consisted of 51 children (1-3 years old) and their mothers and fathers. Data were collected during home visits, when mothers and fathers completed questionnaires and were interviewed. In addition, mother-child and father-child interactions were videotaped. Results indicate that compared to the comparison group, fathers rated children with sleep disturbances as fussier, both their mothers and fathers experienced higher levels of stress, and reported using more bedtime interactions that interfere with child's sleep-wake self-regulation. In addition, their fathers were less sensitive during father-child interaction and less involved in child caregiving. Finally, paternal involvement moderated the group differences seen in maternal stress, suggesting that high paternal involvement acted as a buffer to protect parents of children with sleep disturbances from experiencing parental stress. The important role of fathers in families having children with sleep disturbances is discussed. © 2014 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Differential neural responses to child and sexual stimuli in human fathers and non-fathers and their hormonal correlates

PubMed Central

Mascaro, Jennifer S.; Hackett, Patrick D.; Rilling, James K.

2015-01-01

Despite the well-documented importance of paternal caregiving for positive child development, little is known about the neural changes that accompany the transition to fatherhood in humans, or about how changes in hormone levels affect paternal brain function. We compared fathers of children aged 1–2 with non-fathers in terms of hormone levels (oxytocin and testosterone), neural responses to child picture stimuli, and neural responses to visual sexual stimuli. Compared to non-fathers, fathers had significantly higher levels of plasma oxytocin and lower levels of plasma testosterone. In response to child picture stimuli, fathers showed stronger activation than non-fathers within regions important for face emotion processing (caudal middle frontal gyrus [MFG]), mentalizing (temporo-parietal junction [TPJ]) and reward processing (medial orbitofrontal cortex [mOFC]). On the other hand, non-fathers had significantly stronger neural responses to sexually provocative images in regions important for reward and approach-related motivation (dorsal caudate and nucleus accumbens). Testosterone levels were negatively correlated with responses to child stimuli in the MFG. Surprisingly, neither testosterone nor oxytocin levels predicted neural responses to sexual stimuli. Our results suggest that the decline in testosterone that accompanies the transition to fatherhood may be important for augmenting empathy toward children. PMID:24882167

Transactional relations between father involvement and preschoolers' socioemotional adjustment.

PubMed

Jia, Rongfang; Kotila, Letitia E; Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J

2012-12-01

Children's socioemotional development is child as well as parent driven. Yet, transactional frameworks are rarely applied to studies of father-child relations. This study examined reciprocal associations between father involvement in play and caregiving and children's adjustment and tested supportive coparenting behavior as a moderator of these associations. One hundred twelve families participated in a 1-year longitudinal study. Fathers reported on their involvement and mothers and teachers reported on preschoolers' behavior at two time points, and supportive coparenting behavior was observed at the second time point. Results showed that father involvement in play predicted relative decreases in externalizing behaviors, and also relative decreases in internalizing behaviors and relative increases in social competence at school only when accompanied by supportive coparenting behavior; reciprocally, fathers showed relative reductions in their play with children initially high in internalizing behaviors perceived by teachers. Father involvement in caregiving predicted relative increases in children's internalizing behaviors, but reciprocal effects indicated that these associations may be driven by children. The presence of reciprocal associations between father involvement and child behaviors that differed for play and caregiving domains and were moderated by supportive coparenting behavior suggests the importance of a transactional, domain-specific, and systemic approach to understanding father-child relations and the implementation of relevant intervention practices. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Father Attendance in Nurse Home Visitation

PubMed Central

Holmberg, John R.; Olds, David L.

2015-01-01

Our aim was to examine the rates and predictors of father attendance at nurse home visits in replication sites of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). Early childhood programs can facilitate father involvement in the lives of their children, but program improvements require an understanding of factors that predict father involvement. The sample consisted of 29,109 low-income, first-time mothers who received services from 694 nurses from 80 sites. We conducted mixed-model multiple regression analyses to identify population, implementation, site, and nurse influences on father attendance. Predictors of father attendance included a count of maternal visits (B = 0.12, SE = 0.01, F = 3101.77), frequent contact between parents (B = 0.61, SE = 0.02, F = 708.02), cohabitation (B = 1.41, SE = 0.07, F = 631.51), White maternal race (B = 0.77, SE = 0.06, F = 190.12), and marriage (B = 0.42, SE = 0.08, F = 30.08). Random effects for sites and nurses predicted father-visit participation (2.7 & 6.7% of the variance, respectively), even after controlling for population sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that factors operating at the levels of sites and nurses influence father attendance at home visits, even after controlling for differences in populations served. Further inquiry about these influences on father visit attendance is likely to inform program-improvement efforts. PMID:25521707

Father involvement in child welfare: Associations with changes in externalizing behavior.

PubMed

Leon, Scott C; Jhe Bai, Grace; Fuller, Anne K

2016-05-01

Nonresident fathers can have a significant impact on children's behavioral outcomes. Unfortunately, the impact of nonresident father involvement on the behavioral outcomes of children with child welfare involvement has received scant attention in the literature, a limitation the current study sought to address. A sample of 333 children in state custody in Illinois between the ages of six and 13 participated and were assessed using the externalizing behavior scale of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) at regular intervals throughout their time in care. Father involvement was measured through a review of case files and interviews with child welfare workers. Growth trajectories were fit to children's externalizing behavior across time and were predicted using Time 1 characteristics. Father involvement, total non-father relative involvement, and gender (girls) was associated with lower baseline externalizing behavior and the African American children in the sample experienced higher baseline externalizing behavior. However, only Time 1 father involvement predicted slope trajectories after controlling for Time 1 externalizing behavior; more father involvement was associated with lower externalizing behavior trajectories. These results suggest that even in the unique and stressful context of child welfare, father involvement can be protective regarding children's externalizing behaviors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Italian gay fathers' experiences of transnational surrogacy and their relationship with the surrogate pre- and post-birth.

PubMed

Carone, Nicola; Baiocco, Roberto; Lingiardi, Vittorio

2017-02-01

This study aims to explore the experience of transnational surrogacy and the relationship with the surrogate pre- and post-birth in Italian gay father families. Couple and individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 30 Italian gay partnered fathers with at least one child born through gestational surrogacy in California or Canada. No couples had known their surrogates or egg donors previously. The Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis indicated that three interrelated themes could be helpful for understanding the gay fathers' experience of their geographical distance from the surrogate: the perceived loss of control over the pregnancy; the surrogate as a person who facilitates the fathers' feelings of being emotionally connected to their developing child; the surrogate as an 'aunty' who, along with her family, maintains a relationship with the fathers. None of the fathers mentioned the egg donor during the interview. The study inspires reflections in offshore fertility practitioners on how pre- and ongoing surrogacy counselling for prospective gay fathers should be tailored. It further calls for the necessity of offering psychological counselling in gay fathers' resident countries in order to promote informed decisions before starting surrogacy abroad and to elaborate on potential difficulties related to surrogacy after the child's birth. Copyright © 2016 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Father absence due to migration and child illness in rural Mexico.

PubMed

Schmeer, Kammi

2009-10-01

Little research to date has assessed the importance of the presence of fathers in the household for protecting child health, particularly in developing country contexts. Although divorce and non-marital childbearing are low in many developing countries, migration is a potentially important source of father absence that has yet to be studied in relation to child health. This study utilizes prospective, longitudinal data from Mexico to assess whether father absence due to migration is associated with increased child illness in poor, rural communities. Rural Mexico provides a setting where child illness is related to more serious health problems, and where migration is an important source of father absence. Both state- and individual-level fixed effects regression analyses are used to estimate the relationship between father absence due to migration and child illness while controlling for unobserved contextual and individual characteristics. The state-level models illustrate that the odds of children being ill are 39% higher for any illness and 51% higher for diarrhea when fathers are absent compared with when fathers are present in the household. The individual-level fixed effects models support these findings, indicating that, in the context of rural Mexico, fathers may be important sources of support for ensuring the healthy development of young children.

Mothers' and fathers' attendance in a community-based universally offered parenting program in Sweden.

PubMed

Wells, Michael B; Sarkadi, Anna; Salari, Raziye

2016-05-01

Using a public health perspective, this study examined the characteristics of mothers and fathers who attended, compared to those who did not attend, a community-based practitioner-led universally offered parenting program. Mothers (141) and fathers (96) of 4- to 5-year-olds completed a set of questionnaires, including their demographic characteristics, their child's behavioral and emotional problems, and their own parenting behavior. They were all then given the opportunity to attend level 2 of the Triple P--Positive Parenting Program. During the first six months of the study, 33 mothers and 11 fathers opted to attend the program. The relation between program attendance and parental characteristics was similar for mothers and fathers. In general, fathers, non-native and lower educated parents were less likely to attend the program. Mothers, but not fathers, were more likely to attend if they reported more child behavior problems, while fathers, but not mothers, were observed at a trend level to attend if they perceived their child as having more emotional problems. In addition, parents in general were more likely to attend if they used more harsh parenting strategies. Although the universal offer did not reach parents universally, generally those parents who needed it were more likely to attend. Furthermore, this study shows that different factors may impact mothers' and fathers' attendance; therefore, parental data should be analyzed separately and different recruitment strategies should be used for mothers and fathers. © 2015 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.

Fathers' Depression Related to Positive and Negative Parenting Behaviors With 1-Year-Old Children

PubMed Central

Davis, Matthew M.; Freed, Gary L.; Clark, Sarah J.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To examine the associations between depression in fathers of 1-year-old children and specific positive and negative parenting behaviors discussed by pediatric providers at well-child visits. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional secondary analysis by using interview data from 1746 fathers of 1-year-old children in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Positive parenting behaviors included fathers' reports of playing games, singing songs, and reading stories to their children ≥3 days in a typical week. Negative parenting behavior included fathers' reports of spanking their 1-year-old children in the previous month. Depression was assessed by using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form. Weighted bivariate and multivariate analyses of parenting behaviors were performed while controlling for demographics and paternal substance abuse. RESULTS: Overall, 7% of fathers had depression. In bivariate analyses, depressed fathers were more likely than nondepressed fathers to report spanking their 1-year-old children in the previous month (41% compared with 13%; P < .01). In multivariate analyses, depressed fathers were less likely to report reading to their children ≥3 days in a typical week (adjusted odds ratio: 0.38 [95% confidence interval: 0.15–0.98]) and much more likely to report spanking (adjusted odds ratio: 3.92 [95% confidence interval: 1.23–12.5]). Seventy-seven percent of depressed fathers reported talking to their children's doctor in the previous year. CONCLUSIONS: Paternal depression is associated with parenting behaviors relevant to well-child visits. Pediatric providers should consider screening fathers for depression, discussing specific parenting behaviors (eg, reading to children and appropriate discipline), and referring for treatment if appropriate. PMID:21402627

Chronic variable stress in fathers alters paternal and social behavior but not pup development in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus).

PubMed

Harris, Breanna N; de Jong, Trynke R; Yang, Vanessa; Saltzman, Wendy

2013-11-01

Stress and chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels have been shown to disrupt parental behavior in mothers; however, almost no studies have investigated corresponding effects in fathers. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that chronic variable stress inhibits paternal behavior and consequently alters pup development in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). First-time fathers were assigned to one of three experimental groups: chronic variable stress (CVS, n=8), separation control (SC, n=7), or unmanipulated control (UC, n=8). The CVS paradigm (3 stressors per day for 7 days) successfully stressed mice, as evidenced by increased baseline plasma corticosterone concentrations, increased adrenal mass, decreased thymus mass, and a decrease in body mass over time. CVS altered paternal and social behavior of fathers, but major differences were observed only on day 6 of the 7-day paradigm. At that time point, CVS fathers spent less time with their pairmate and pups, and more time autogrooming, as compared to UC fathers; SC fathers spent more time behaving paternally and grooming the female mate than CVS and UC fathers. Thus, CVS blocked the separation-induced increase in social behaviors observed in the SC fathers. Nonetheless, chronic stress in fathers did not appear to alter survival or development of their offspring: pups from the three experimental conditions did not differ in body mass gain over time, in the day of eye opening, or in basal or post-stress corticosterone levels. These results demonstrate that chronic stress can transiently disrupt paternal and social behavior in P. californicus fathers, but does not alter pup development or survival under controlled, non-challenging laboratory conditions. © 2013.

What matters for working fathers? Job characteristics, work-family conflict and enrichment, and fathers' postpartum mental health in an Australian cohort.

PubMed

Cooklin, Amanda R; Giallo, Rebecca; Strazdins, Lyndall; Martin, Angela; Leach, Liana S; Nicholson, Jan M

2015-12-01

One in ten fathers experience mental health difficulties in the first year postpartum. Unsupportive job conditions that exacerbate work-family conflict are a potential risk to fathers' mental health given that most new fathers (95%) combine parenting with paid work. However, few studies have examined work-family conflict and mental health for postpartum fathers specifically. The aim of the present study was to identify the particular work characteristics (e.g., work hours per week, job quality) associated with work-family conflict and enrichment, and fathers' mental health in the postpartum period. Survey data from 3243 fathers of infants (aged 6-12 months) participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were analysed via path analysis, considering key confounders (age, education, income, maternal employment, maternal mental health and relationship quality). Long and inflexible work hours, night shift, job insecurity, a lack of autonomy and more children in the household were associated with increased work-family conflict, and this was in turn associated with increased distress. Job security, autonomy, and being in a more prestigious occupation were positively associated with work-family enrichment and better mental health. These findings from a nationally representative sample of Australian fathers contribute novel evidence that employment characteristics, via work-family conflict and work-family enrichment, are key determinants of fathers' postnatal mental health, independent from established risk factors. Findings will inform the provision of specific 'family-friendly' conditions protective for fathers during this critical stage in the family life-cycle, with implications for their wellbeing and that of their families. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The primacy of work and fathering preterm infants: findings from an interpretive phenomenological study.

PubMed

Pohlman, Shawn

2005-08-01

To improve our understanding of fathers of preterm infants by examining their meanings of work and exploring the impact of their work on their early transition to fatherhood. The sample included 9 white fathers between the ages of 22 and 40 years, who had infants born between 25 and 32 weeks gestation. This report explores one theme that emerged from a broader interpretive phenomenological study. Fathers were interviewed 6 to 8 times over a 6-month period, beginning within 1 month of the birth of their infant and continuing after neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) discharge. Interview guides were used only to initiate conversation; probing, clarifying questions helped fathers provide detailed stories of what they did, thought, and felt about specific situations. Transcriptions of all 63 interviews were treated as meaningful text and analyzed using interpretive methods. Fathers' narratives revealed the primacy of work in their lives; work remained a pivotal focus even after an early birth. Fathers returned to work quickly after their infant's birth. They approached their work with a renewed sense of fervor in order to provide financially for their families. They found comfort in their work because in the work setting they felt that they were the experts, as opposed to feeling like novices in the NICU. The most stressful aspect of the experience was juggling their time between work and the outside world. Fathers may respond to the experience of having a premature infant very differently from mothers. Because fathers' stressors often lie outside the NICU, their stressors may be invisible to healthcare providers. A deeper understanding of fathering must consider the social, familial, and historical processes that shape fathering practices.

Legacies and Memorializations in the Intergenerational Transmission of Psychic Life: Psychoanalytic Notes on Some of the Ways in Which Sons Assume Their Father's Mantle.

PubMed

Barratt, Barnaby B

2016-04-01

The intergenerational transmission of psychic life has been difficult to explore psychoanalytically given that a treatment of both parent and child is rarely, if ever, feasible. Here the issue is explored in terms of father-son relationships. Three legendary fathers (Abraham, Laius, Shiva) are discussed as illustrating the filicidal legacy they imposed psychically and corporeally on their sons. Three contemporary case vignettes are then presented, indicating ways in which sons ambivalently memorialize their fathers. This material provides a model as to some of the ways in which sons assume the mantle of the father's conscious and unconscious dynamics in the course of their personal history. Paternal legacies generate "memorializations" that express profound and poignant conflicts animating the son's psychic life. In the context of this investigation, the significance of the distinction between actual fathers or father figures (who are mortal, who possess some sort of gendered qualities, and who may be present or absent, emotionally and physically) and the "symbolic father" (who is the locus of the phallus that organizes the possibility of representational discourse) is discussed. It is suggested that boys and men typically develop in terms of confusions around this distinction. The oedipal conundrum and challenge of the boy's passage into manhood is then formulated as follows: Masculinity involves both the integration of patricidal desire (in response to the paternal legacy) and the mourning of actual fathers or father figures. It also involves the acceptance of the human condition, which is both that of mortality and of our "castratedness" in relation to the "symbolic father" as the locus of the phallus (the only one who knows whereof "He" speaks and acts, and who can neither be mourned nor surpassed).

Support of fathers of infants by the child health nurse.

PubMed

Fägerskiöld, Astrid

2006-03-01

The child health nurse is considered to be able to support fathers in the transition to parenthood, through utilizing the fathers' inherent resources for the best development of the child. The aim of present study was to identify what expectations fathers of infants have of the child health care, including the nurse: whether they feel that they have received support in this role and how they think the nurse can support new fathers. A qualitative descriptive design was used with an inductive approach using grounded theory, which was suitable to obtain knowledge and understanding of how fathers perceived and interpreted their interaction with their child health nurse. Twenty fathers of infants gave their informed consent to participate. They were interviewed and data were systematically analysed on three levels by constant comparative method. From the analysis, the core category trustful relationship was discovered, comprising the categories involvement, faith and support. Nurses ought to reflect on that a father of an infant may feel slighted at the child health clinic if, as traditionally, the nurse turns only to the mother. Many fathers of today want to share the infant care and they want more communication with the nurse. It is suggested that in the long run, support in early fatherhood may be of benefit for the child and for the family. If the father has a trustful relationship with the nurse, his involvement in child health care is presumed to increase, as is the possibility of having faith in the nurse, as well as receiving support in his role as father. The findings are discussed in relation to literature in the field.

Chronic variable stress in fathers alters paternal and social behavior but not pup development in the biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus)

PubMed Central

Harris, Breanna N.; de Jong, Trynke R.; Yang, Vanessa; Saltzman, Wendy

2013-01-01

Stress and chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels have been shown to disrupt parental behavior in mothers; however, almost no studies have investigated corresponding effects in fathers. The present experiment tested the hypothesis that chronic variable stress inhibits paternal behavior and consequently alters pup development in the monogamous, biparental California mouse (Peromyscus californicus). First-time fathers were assigned to one of three experimental groups: chronic variable stress (CVS, n=8), separation control (SC, n=7), or unmanipulated control (UC, n=8). The CVS paradigm (3 stressors per day for 7 days) successfully stressed mice, as evidenced by increased baseline plasma corticosterone concentrations, increased adrenal mass, decreased thymus mass, and a decrease in body mass over time. CVS altered paternal and social behavior of fathers, but major differences were observed only on day 6 of the 7-day paradigm. At that time point, CVS fathers spent less time with their pairmate and pups, and more time autogrooming, as compared to UC fathers; SC fathers spent more time behaving paternally and grooming the female mate than CVS and UC fathers. Thus, CVS blocked the separation-induced increase in social behaviors observed in the SC fathers. Nonetheless, chronic stress in fathers did not appear to alter survival or development of their offspring: pups from the three experimental conditions did not differ in body mass gain over time, in day of eye opening, or in basal or post-stress corticosterone levels. These results demonstrate that chronic stress can transiently disrupt paternal and social behavior in P. californicus fathers, but does not alter pup development or survival under controlled, nonchallenging laboratory conditions. PMID:24157379

Becoming a father is an emotional roller coaster - an analysis of first-time fathers' blogs.

PubMed

Asenhed, Liselotte; Kilstam, Jennie; Alehagen, Siw; Baggens, Christina

2014-05-01

To identify and describe the process of fatherhood during the partner's pregnancy among expectant, first-time fathers. Pregnancy seems to be a demanding period for expectant fathers, and this period is a part of their transition to fatherhood. Blogs can be seen as personal diaries and offer an alternative method of collecting data as they are an arena for sharing experiences and narratives. An explorative qualitative design. Blogs from the Internet by eleven first-time fathers living in Sweden were included in the study. Qualitative content analysis was used for the analysis of the blogs. A theme emerged expressing the latent content of the text: 'Becoming a father for the first time is an emotional roller coaster where the role of the expectant father is not obvious' and five different categories describing the manifest content: the pregnancy, a new life, to make the child real, preparations for the delivery and the arrival of the child, and a new role in life. The metaphor 'roller coaster' indicates the tension between different feelings about the men's future as fathers. They are searching for answers on how to be a good father. They feel excluded when they visit antenatal care centres and have difficulties finding out how to support their partner. This is an existential period when they understand themselves as adults and also miss relatives who have died. During pregnancy, the men start to communicate with their child, and this interaction gives a sense of reality and creates hope and joy about being a father. Staff involved in antenatal care can use the knowledge from this study when meeting with expectant fathers. Perspectives expressed in blogs may enhance the professionals' understanding that the transition process of fatherhood is complex. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adolescent fathers: knowledge of and involvement in the breast feeding process in Brazil.

PubMed

Torres de Lacerda, Ana Catarina; Lucena de Vasconcelos, Maria Gorete; Nascimento de Alencar, Eloine; Osório, Mônica Maria; Pontes, Cleide Maria

2014-03-01

to understand the ways in which adolescent fathers participate in the breast feeding process in the family environment in North-eastern Brazil. a descriptive, exploratory, qualitative study was undertaken involving 10 couples with infants aged 6-8 months living in a single community in Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews with questions to guide the interviewer. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis, and interpreted under the theoretical reference of being an adolescent father within the context of breast feeding. from the data collected, three themes were identified: knowledge of the benefits of breast feeding for the child's health; discontinued participation of the father in breast feeding during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle; and exclusion of the adolescent father from the breast feeding process. The adolescent fathers knew about the benefits of breast feeding in terms of the child's health, but did not mention benefits for the mother, the family or society. For some adolescent fathers, their participation in the breast feeding process started during pregnancy, whereas for others, it was only initiated after the infant was born. One of the fathers was prevented, by his wife and mother-in-law, from participating in the breast feeding process. the involvement of adolescent fathers in the breast feeding process oscillated during the pregnancy-childbearing cycle. This may be due to the patriarchal cultural heritage, Brazilian paternity laws, and the fact that these fathers were adolescents. This study showed that adolescent parents were knowledgeable about breast feeding. Finally, fathers want a new model of parenting in which the man participates in child care. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-Residential Father-Child Involvement, Interparental Conflict and Mental Health of Children Following Divorce: A Person-Focused Approach

PubMed Central

Elam, Kit K.; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene; Tein, Jenn-Yun

2015-01-01

Variable-centered research has found complex relationships between child well-being and two critical aspects of the post-divorce family environment: the level of non-residential father involvement (i.e., contact and supportive relationship) with their children and the level of conflict between the father and mother. However, these analyses fail to capture individual differences based on distinct patterns of interparental conflict, father support and father contact. Using a person-centered latent profile analysis, the present study examined (1) profiles of non-residential father contact, support, and interparental conflict in the two years following divorce (N = 240), when children (49% female) were between 9 and 12 years of age and (2) differences across profiles in concurrent child adjustment outcomes as well as outcomes six years later. Four profiles of father involvement were identified: High Contact – Moderate Conflict – Moderate Support, Low Contact – Moderate Conflict – Low Support, High Conflict – Moderate Contact –Moderate Support, and Low Conflict – Moderate Contact – Moderate Support. Concurrently, children with fathers in the group with high conflict were found to have significantly greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to all other groups. Six years later, children with fathers in the group with low contact and low support were found to have greater internalizing and externalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the high conflict group, and also greater internalizing problems compared to children with fathers in the low conflict group. These results provide insight into the complex relationship among non-residential fathers’ conflict, contact, and support in child adjustment within divorcing families. PMID:26692236

Evaluation of a brief intervention to assist health visitors and community practitioners to engage with fathers as part of the healthy child initiative.

PubMed

Humphries, Heatha; Nolan, Mary

2015-07-01

To improve engagement of Health Visitors and Community Practitioners delivering the Healthy Child Programme with fathers. To evaluate a one-day, father-focused workshop with a supporting handbook for Practitioners. To identify institutional and organisational barriers to engagement with fathers. The UK government policy encourages health professionals to engage with fathers. This derives from robust evidence that fathers' early involvement with their children impacts positively on emotional, behavioural and educational development. Yet, there is little evidence that the importance of engaging fathers is reflected in Health Visitor training or that primary-care services are wholly embracing father-inclusive practice. The Fatherhood Institute (FI), a UK charity, has developed a workshop for Practitioners delivering the Healthy Child Programme. A 'before and after' evaluation study, comprising a survey followed by telephone interviews, evaluated the impact of the FI workshop on Health Visitors' and Community Practitioners' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in practice. A total of 134 Health Visitors and Community Practitioners from eight NHS Trusts in England attended the workshop from November 2011 to January 2014 at 12 sites. A specially constructed survey, incorporating a validated questionnaire, was administered before the workshop, immediately afterwards and three months later. Telephone interviews further explored participants' responses. Analysis of the questionnaire data showed that the workshop and handbook improved participants' knowledge, attitudes and behaviour in practice. This was sustained over a three-month period. In telephone interviews, most participants said that the workshop had raised their awareness of engaging fathers and offered them helpful strategies. However, they also spoke of barriers to engagement with fathers. NHS Trusts need to review the training and education of Health Visitors and Community Practitioners and take a more strategic approach towards father-inclusive practice and extend services to meet the needs of fathers.

Children's intake of fruit and selected energy-dense nutrient-poor foods is associated with fathers' intake.

PubMed

Hall, Laura; Collins, Clare E; Morgan, Philip J; Burrows, Tracy L; Lubans, David R; Callister, Robin

2011-07-01

Parental dietary intake, lifestyle behavior, and parenting style influence a child's weight status. Few studies have examined associations between parent-child dietary intake, or specific father-child associations. This cross-sectional study examined associations between father-child dietary intakes of fruit, vegetables, and selected energy-dense nutrient-poor foods. The study population consisted of overweight fathers with 50 father-child dyads included in the analysis; median (interquartile range) age of fathers was 39±8.0 years; body mass index was 32.7±5.3; and their primary school-aged children (n=50) (54% boys aged 8.5±3.0 years, body mass index z score 0.6±1.6) who had been targeted to participate in the Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids pilot trial in the Hunter region, New South Wales, Australia in 2008. Dietary intakes of fathers and children were assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires, with mothers reporting their child's food intake. Descriptive statistics were reported and Spearman's rank order correlations used to test the strength of associations between father-child intakes. Fathers' median (interquartile range) daily fruit and vegetable intakes were 0.9 (1.5) and 2.2 (1.3) servings/day, respectively, whereas children consumed 2.1 (2.4) fruit and 2.9 (2.1) vegetable servings/day. Moderately-strong positive correlations were found between father-child fruit intakes (r=0.40, P<0.01), cookies (r=0.54, P<0.001), and potato chips (r=0.33, P<0.05). There were no associations between intakes of vegetables, ice cream, chocolate, or french fries (P>0.05). Children's intakes of fruit and some energy-dense nutrient-poor foods but not vegetables were related to their father's intakes. The targeting of fathers should be tested in experimental studies as a potential strategy to improve child and family eating habits. Copyright © 2011 American Dietetic Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Practitioner review: Engaging fathers--recommendations for a game change in parenting interventions based on a systematic review of the global evidence.

PubMed

Panter-Brick, Catherine; Burgess, Adrienne; Eggerman, Mark; McAllister, Fiona; Pruett, Kyle; Leckman, James F

2014-11-01

Despite robust evidence of fathers' impact on children and mothers, engaging with fathers is one of the least well-explored and articulated aspects of parenting interventions. It is therefore critical to evaluate implicit and explicit biases manifested in current approaches to research, intervention, and policy. We conducted a systematic database and a thematic hand search of the global literature on parenting interventions. Studies were selected from Medline, Psychinfo, SSCI, and Cochrane databases, and from gray literature on parenting programs, using multiple search terms for parent, father, intervention, and evaluation. We tabulated single programs and undertook systematic quality coding to review the evidence base in terms of the scope and nature of data reporting. After screening 786 nonduplicate records, we identified 199 publications that presented evidence on father participation and impact in parenting interventions. With some notable exceptions, few interventions disaggregate 'father' or 'couple' effects in their evaluation, being mostly driven by a focus on the mother-child dyad. We identified seven key barriers to engaging fathers in parenting programs, pertaining to cultural, institutional, professional, operational, content, resource, and policy considerations in their design and delivery. Barriers to engaging men as parents work against father inclusion as well as father retention, and undervalue coparenting as contrasted with mothering. Robust evaluations of father participation and father impact on child or family outcomes are stymied by the ways in which parenting interventions are currently designed, delivered, and evaluated. Three key priorities are to engage fathers and coparenting couples successfully, to disaggregate process and impact data by fathers, mothers, and coparents, and to pay greater attention to issues of reach, sustainability, cost, equity, and scale-up. Clarity of purpose with respect to gender-differentiated and coparenting issues in the design, delivery, and evaluation of parenting programs will constitute a game change in this field. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Short-Term Natural Course of Depressive Symptoms and Family-Related Stress in Adolescents After Separation From Father.

PubMed

Gobbi, Gabriella; Low, Nancy C P; Dugas, Erika; Sylvestre, Marie-Pierre; Contreras, Gisèle; O'Loughlin, Jennifer

2015-10-01

To determine if separation from a father is associated with short-term changes in mental health or substance use in adolescents. Every 3 months, during a 5-year period, we followed 1160 Grade 7 students participating in the Nicotine Dependence in Teens Study who were living with both parents. Participants who reported not living with their father for 6 or more consecutive months during follow-up were categorized as separated from father. Pooled regressions within the framework of generalized estimating equations were used to model the associations between separation from father and indicators of mental health (depressive symptoms, and worry and [or] stress about family relationships or the family situation) and substance use (alcohol use and cigarette smoking) 4 to 6 and 7 to 9 months postseparation, controlling for age, sex, and baseline level of the outcome variable. Compared with adolescents living with both parents, adolescent offspring separated from their fathers were more likely to report depressive symptoms (β = 0.17, 95% CI 0.01 to 0.33) 4 to 6 months postseparation, as well as worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.29 to 4.43), a new family (OR 4.25, 95% CI 2.33 to 7.76), and the family financial situation (OR 2.35, 95% CI 1.53 to 3.60). Separation from father was also marginally significantly related to worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father (OR 1.53; 95% CI 0.98 to 2.39). At 7 to 9 months postseparation, separation from father continued to be associated with worry and (or) stress about their parents separating or divorcing, a new family, and the family financial situation. Separation from father was no longer associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their father, but it was associated with worry and (or) stress about their relationship with their mother. Separation from father was not related to use of alcohol or cigarettes. Adolescent offspring experienced family-related stress and transient depression symptoms in the 4- to 9-month period following separation from their fathers.

Gay fathers’ motivations for and feelings about surrogacy as a path to parenthood

PubMed Central

Carone, N.; Raffanello, E.; Slutsky, Jenna; Ehrhardt, A. A.; Golombok, S.

2017-01-01

Abstract STUDY QUESTION Why do gay men choose to start their families through surrogacy? SUMMARY ANSWER Most fathers chose surrogacy because they considered adoption to be a less desirable and/or accessible path to parenthood. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Little is known of gay fathers’ motivations to use surrogacy as a path to parenthood over and above other forms of family building, such as adoption, and no studies have examined fathers’ satisfaction with the surrogacy process. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This study used a cross-sectional design as part of a larger investigation of parent–child relationships and child adjustment in 40 gay father surrogacy families. Multiple strategies (e.g. surrogacy agencies, social events and snowballing) were used to recruit as diverse a sample as possible. Data were obtained from 74 fathers (in 6 families only 1 father was available for interview). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD Semi-structured interviews, lasting ~1 h, were conducted in the family home (65%) or over Skype (35%) with 74 gay fathers (35 genetic fathers, 32 non-genetic fathers and 7 fathers who did not know or did not disclose who the genetic father was), when the children were 3–9 years old. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Genetic and non-genetic fathers were just as likely to want to become parents and had similar motivations for choosing surrogacy as a path to parenthood. Most fathers (N = 55, 74%) were satisfied with surrogacy and were satisfied (N = 31. 42%) or had neutral feelings (N = 21, 28%) about their choice of who would be the genetic father. Most fathers received supportive reactions to their decision to use surrogacy from both families of origin (e.g. parents, siblings) (N = 47, 64%) and from friends (N = 63, 85%). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Although diverse recruitment strategies were used, data were obtained from a volunteer sample. Therefore, the possibility that fathers who had a positive surrogacy experience may have been more likely to participate in the study, and therefore introduce bias, cannot be ruled out. Due to the high average annual income of the fathers in the study, findings may not generalize to gay fathers with lower incomes. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS It is often assumed that parents’ primary motivation for using ART is to have a genetic connection to the child. This study revealed that whilst genetic fatherhood was important for some gay fathers in surrogacy families, it was not important for all. This information will be of use to surrogacy agencies and organizations supporting men who are considering the different routes to parenthood. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was funded by the Wellcome Trust [097857/Z/11/Z] and the Jacob's Foundation. None of the authors has any conflict of interest to declare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A. PMID:28333218

Fathers' Experience With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Nursing Implications.

PubMed

Frye, Linda

2016-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong condition characterized by very mild symptoms to severe impairments in communication skills, social interactions, and unusual behaviors that interfere with independent functioning and interactions with others. ASD may cause financial, social, and emotional difficulties that negatively affect the entire family. The main focus of current research in caregivers of children with ASD focuses on the mothers rather than fathers or both parents, and no studies have used the fathers' words to describe their experience with ASD. Fathers have an important role to improve outcomes for their children receiving therapy. With more fathers taking on the primary caregiver role, it is important to understand their experience with ASD and their needs to help them actively engage in their role as fathers. The purpose of this study was to describe fathers' experience with ASD using their own words and identify any resources needed to help them actively engage in their role as a father of a child with ASD. A single-case, multiple-participant, phenomenological approach case study was conducted to describe the experience of fathers of children with ASD. The case was defined as White non-Hispanic (the population identified as having the highest incidence of ASD) fathers who are living in the same home with their child(ren) who has/have a formal diagnosis of ASD. Fathers answered open-ended questions about their experience with ASD, including the challenges they face, their advice for other fathers of children with ASD, and what they need to overcome the challenges of ASD. The theoretical model for the study was the Resiliency Model of Family Stress, Adjustment, and Adaptation. The model was designed to help health care professionals identify a family's strengths and weaknesses as they face existing and new stressors related to a long-term medical condition and then provide interventions to help the family become resilient so they can meet the challenges. Fathers in this study had experiences similar to those described in previous studies with regard to mothers of children with ASD. The similarity of the findings in the small sample size of fathers and those in studies with larger sample sizes of mothers supports development of clinical interventions that will benefit both mothers and fathers of children with ASD. Fathers described the adjustments made by each member of the family to face the challenges of ASD. Fathers also explained their needs, including money, teamwork, honesty, information, and time. The fathers experienced stages of grief and loss that are similar to those that occur when experiencing a death. Nurses are the eyes and ears of the health care team and the voice for the parents, thus creating a critical connection between the parents and health care team. Fathers in the current study and mothers in previous studies described their need for someone to listen to them, educate them and others about ASD, acknowledge their experience and emotions, and direct them to appropriate resources. Nursing implications include taking action to lead the parents through the challenges and helping them develop resiliency and facilitating improved outcomes for the children and the entire family. A resource book or computer file including information about available resources and information about ASD and treatment can be a valuable tool to help overcome challenges related to ASD. Copyright © 2015 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Father-Infant Interactions Are Enhanced by Massage Therapy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullen, Christy; Field, Tiffany; Escalona, Angelica; Hartshorn, Kristin

2000-01-01

Examined the impact of fathers giving massages to their infants, ages 3 to 14 months, for 15 minutes prior to their daily bedtime for 1 month. Found that fathers who had massaged their infants were more expressive and showed more enjoyment and more warmth during floor-play interactions with their infants than did fathers in the wait-list control…

Preventing Violence against Women: Engaging the Fathers of Today and Tomorrow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crooks, Claire V.; Goodall, George R.; Baker, Linda L.; Hughes, Ray

2006-01-01

Although fathers play a key role in helping their children develop ideas about gender relations and close relationships, they have been largely overlooked as a resource to help prevent violence against women. This paper explores some of the reasons why fathers have not been successfully engaged in violence prevention. Engaging fathers to promote…

Same Name as Father: Is Being a Junior a Help or a Handicap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yao, Blake

The relationship between mental illness and the practice of naming a son after the father was investigated. Plank and Cameron suggested that individuals who carry their father's name often live under the father's shadow, and this might influence the social/emotional development of the individual. Previous reports of rates of mental illness among…

Americans' Views of Fathers' Competency as Parents through a Mass Media Lens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher A.

2015-01-01

Portrayals of fathers in the mass media influence parents' views of the importance of fathers to the well-being of children and of fathers' competence as parents. Awareness of how these portrayals influence parents is crucial to the effectiveness of professionals as they seek to improve child well-being through their work with parents,…

Comparisons of Levels and Predictors of Mothers' and Fathers' Engagement with Their Preschool-Aged Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.; Kotila, Letitia E.; Jia, Rongfang; Lang, Sarah N.; Bower, Daniel J.

2013-01-01

Self-report data from 112 two-parent families were used to compare levels and predictors of four types of mothers' and fathers' engagement with their preschool-aged children: socialisation, didactic, caregiving, and physical play. Mothers were more involved than fathers in socialisation, didactic, and caregiving, whereas fathers were more involved…

Effects of Onset and Type of Fathers' Absence on Children's Levels of Psychological Differentiation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gershansky, Ira S.; And Others

1980-01-01

The portable rod-and-frame test was used to measure the level of psychological differentation for 100 behavior-problem, father-absent children, ages 8-16. A significant interaction was noted between the reason for the father's absence (death vs divorce/desertion) and the child's age when the father left home. (Author/SJL)

The Case of Expectant Fathers: Negotiating the Changing Role of Males in a "Female" World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinckley, C.; Ferreira, R.; Maree, J. G.

2007-01-01

Research was carried out to investigate the needs of expectant fathers and to determine whether television can be implemented to provide parent guidance to South African expectant fathers during the transition into fatherhood. Focus was on understanding the specific type of information required by expectant fathers, in conjunction with their…

Low-Income Fathers' Speech to Toddlers during Book Reading versus Toy Play

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salo, Virginia C.; Rowe, Meredith L.; Leech, Kathryn A.; Cabrera, Natasha J.

2016-01-01

Fathers' child-directed speech across two contexts was examined. Father-child dyads from sixty-nine low-income families were videotaped interacting during book reading and toy play when children were 2;0. Fathers used more diverse vocabulary and asked more questions during book reading while their mean length of utterance was longer during toy…

The Representation of Fathers by Children of Depressed Mothers: Refining the Meaning of Parentification in High-Risk Samples

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolgar, Matthew; Murray, Lynne

2010-01-01

Background: Children's representations of mothers in doll-play are associated with child adjustment. Despite the importance of fathers for children's adjustment, especially in the context of maternal psychopathology, few studies have considered children's representations of their fathers. Method: We examined the portrayal of fathers by 5-year-old…

Participacion de los padres en las escuelas (Father Involvement in Schools). ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nord, Christine Winquist

Until recently, fathers were the hidden parents in research on children's well-being. Research stimulated by the new interest in fathers suggests that fathers' involvement in their children's schools does make a difference in their children's education. Using data from the 1996 National Household Education Survey (NHES:96), this Digest looks at…

The Broader Autism Phenotype in Simplex and Multiplex Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerdts, Jennifer A.; Bernier, Raphael; Dawson, Geraldine; Estes, Annette

2013-01-01

Mothers, fathers, and siblings from 87 multiplex (M-mothers, M-fathers, and M-siblings) and 41 simplex (S-mothers, S-fathers, and S-siblings) Autism spectrum disorder families were assessed using the Broader Phenotype Autism Symptom Scale. S-mothers, S-fathers, and S-siblings showed more social interest and were more expressive in their use of…

In the Child's Best Interest: Terminating the Rights of Fathers with Children in Foster Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olmstead, Spencer B.; McWey, Lenore M.; Henderson, Tammy

2011-01-01

The authors conducted a content analysis of appellate court foster care cases in which fathers appealed the termination of their parental rights. Applying the Responsible Fathering framework to organize the contextual issues that impede men from responsibly fathering, the authors sought to learn what factors affect decisions regarding the…

Care of Black Children with Sickle Cell Disease: Fathers, Maternal Support, and Esteem.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slaughter, Diana T.; Dilworth-Anderson, Peggye

1988-01-01

Compared primary caregivers' perceptions of social support received in father-present (N=15) and father-absent (N=19) Black families caring for a child with sickle cell anemia. Found most support to caregivers came from extended kin network, despite father presence or absence. Caregivers reported decrease in network support between diagnosis in…

Father Involvement, Nurturant Fathering, and Young Adult Psychosocial Functioning: Differences among Adoptive, Adoptive Stepfather, and Nonadoptive Stepfamilies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwartz, Seth J.; Finley, Gordon E.

2006-01-01

The present study was conducted to investigate differences in nurturant fathering, father involvement, and young adult psychosocial functioning among small samples of three nontraditional family forms. A total of 168 young-adult university students from three family forms (27 adoptive, 22 adoptive stepfather, 119 nonadoptive stepfather) completed…

"Changing for My Kid": Fatherhood Experiences of Mexican-Origin Teen Fathers Involved in the Justice System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parra-Cardona, Jose Ruben; Sharp, Elizabeth A.; Wampler, Richard S.

2008-01-01

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted with six adolescent fathers of Mexican origin on juvenile probation for a variety of serious offenses. All participants successfully completed a parenting program designed especially for teen fathers. In a series of consecutive in-depth interviews, teen fathers were asked to discuss their…

Gendered Perceptions of Father Involvement in Early Twentieth Century America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaRossa, Ralph; Reitzes, Donald C.

1995-01-01

Analyzes 256 letters written by middle-class fathers and mothers to nationally known educator Angelo Patri to illustrate the degree to which perceptions of father involvement in the 1920s-30s varied according to gender. Suggests the difference in father involvement during the 20th century is not as sharp as some suppose. (Author/JPS)

A Preliminary Study of Low-Income African American Fathers' Play Interactions with Their Preschool-Age Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Jay

1996-01-01

Examined play interactions of 33 low-income African American fathers with their preschool-age children in relation to the fathers' psychological characteristics, love for the child's mother, employment status, education, and coresidence with the child. The fathers' self-esteem was the best predictor of play interactions. Coresidence with the child…

Father Nature: Fathers as Guides to the Natural World. American Land & Life Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piper, Paul S., Ed.; Tag, Stan, Ed.

This book contains 19 personal essays on the role that fathers play in fostering connections between their children and the natural world. Written from the perspective of adult children or of fathers themselves, most essays show how outdoor activities, particularly hunting and fishing, are replicated across the generations and serve to foster…

Co-Parenting, Relationship Quality, and Father Involvement in African American and Latino Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Varga, Colleen M.; Gee, Christina B.

2017-01-01

The study of adolescent childbearing is a major public policy concern in the United States, and father involvement is particularly important. The current study examined 94 African American and Latino adolescent mothers and their children's fathers (47 co-parents) to determine whether co-parenting was a better predictor of father involvement than…

Relations between Coparenting and Father Involvement in Families with Preschool-Age Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jia, Rongfang; Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.

2011-01-01

A sample (N = 112) composed primarily of European American and middle-class two-parent families with a resident father and a 4-year-old child (48% girls) participated in a longitudinal study of associations between coparenting and father involvement. At the initial assessment and 1 year later, fathers reported on their involvement in play and…

"Helping Us Find Our Own Selves": Exploring Father-Role Construction and Early Childhood Programme Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, S.; Aller, T. B.; Piercy, K. W.; Roggman, L. A.

2015-01-01

Early childhood programmes (ECPs) serving children from low-income families are becoming increasingly interested in engaging fathers. The purpose of this study was to examine perspectives of diverse fathers with low incomes to more fully understand how their experiences within an ECP influenced father-role construction and facilitated their…

20 CFR 404.341 - When mother's and father's benefits begin and end.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... having a child in care, or to mother's or father's benefits for August 1981, your entitlement will... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false When mother's and father's benefits begin and... Benefits; Period of Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.341 When mother's and father...

20 CFR 404.341 - When mother's and father's benefits begin and end.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... having a child in care, or to mother's or father's benefits for August 1981, your entitlement will... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false When mother's and father's benefits begin and... Benefits; Period of Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.341 When mother's and father...

20 CFR 404.341 - When mother's and father's benefits begin and end.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... having a child in care, or to mother's or father's benefits for August 1981, your entitlement will... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false When mother's and father's benefits begin and... Benefits; Period of Disability Benefits for Spouses and Divorced Spouses § 404.341 When mother's and father...

Fathers of Adults Who Have a Learning Disability: Roles, Needs and Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davys, Deborah; Mitchell, Duncan; Martin, Rachel

2017-01-01

Background: There is little research that specifically relates to fathers of adults with a learning disability despite the social expectation that fathers will provide a supportive role over the lifespan. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with seven fathers of adults with a learning disability to explore their roles, needs and…

All in a Day's Work: Job Experiences, Self-Esteem, and Fathering in Working-Class Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grimm-Thomas, Karen; Perry-Jenkins, Maureen

1994-01-01

Examined how working-class fathers' job experiences affected their self-esteem and parenting styles. Conducted home interviews with 59 working-class fathers in dual-earner families and their target child, who was aged 8 to 12 years. Found that more positive fathers' work experiences, higher their self-esteem, which predicted more accepting…

Keeping the Bar Low: Why Russia's Nonresident Fathers Accept Narrow Fatherhood Ideals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utrata, Jennifer

2008-01-01

Although most Russian nonresident fathers feel torn between old and new ideals of fatherhood, they end up accepting older, narrow ideals. Fathers reproduce the dominant gender discourse, which deems men irresponsible and infantile and diminishes the importance of fathers. On the basis of extensive fieldwork, including in-depth interviews (N = 21)…

The Father-Child Relationship, Parenting Styles, and Adolescent Risk Behaviors in Intact Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Moore, Kristin A.; Carrano, Jennifer

2006-01-01

The father-child relationship and father's parenting style are examined as predictors of first delinquency and substance use, using data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth 1997, Rounds 1 to 3 (N = 5,345), among adolescents in intact families. Discrete time logistic regressions indicate that a more positive father-child relationship…

Stress in Fathers of Moderately and Late Preterm Infants: A Randomised Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ravn, Ingrid Helen; Lindemann, Rolf; Smeby, Nina Aarhus; Bunch, Eli Haugen; Sandvik, Leiv; Smith, Lars

2012-01-01

The atypical behaviour of preterm infants can elicit stress in fathers and influence their ability to perceive and interpret infants' cues. This study investigated whether fathers of moderately and late preterm infants were more stressed than fathers of term infants. In a randomised controlled trial, we also studied the effect of the Mother-Infant…

Teacher ratings of resilience and peer relationships of preschoolers whose fathers died unexpectedly.

PubMed

Gülay Ogelman, Hülya; Gündoğan, Aysun; Erten Sarıkaya, Hatice; Erol, Ahmet

2016-08-01

This study endeavors to compare resilience and peer relationships of children who lost their fathers in a major mining accident in Soma with those who did not. Teachers rated 51 preschoolers whose fathers died, and 53 preschoolers whose fathers were alive. On the negative side, bereaved children had lower resilience and higher exclusion; on the positive side, bereaved children had lower peer victimization and higher prosocial behavior. Death of fathers is associated with lower resilience and more exclusion among young children, but others treat them better as well.

Coercive and prosocial fathering, antisocial personality, and growth in children's postdivorce noncompliance.

PubMed

DeGarmo, David Scott

2010-01-01

To better understand quantity and quality of divorced father contact, a weighted county sample of 230 divorced fathers with a child aged 4-11 years was employed to test whether fathers' antisocial personality (ASP) moderated effects of monthly contact with children in predicting children's observed noncompliance. Eighteen-month latent growth models obtained significant individual differences in levels of noncompliance and growth rates. ASP significantly moderated beneficial impact of fathers' monthly contact. Fathers' observed parenting practices significantly predicted noncompliance levels but not growth. Parenting did not account for the effect of Contact x ASP, suggesting both environmental and potentially genetic influences on child adjustment. Findings were robust across boys and girls and age levels. Implications for preventive intervention are discussed.

Parental Childrearing Attitudes as Correlates of Father Involvement During Infancy

PubMed Central

Gaertner, Bridget M.; Spinrad, Tracy L.; Eisenberg, Nancy; Greving, Karissa A.

2007-01-01

Using daily diary data to document involvement with infants at 6 – 8 months of age (n = 142) and 6 months later (n = 95), we examined relations between reported childrearing attitudes and resident fathers' relative (as compared to mothers') involvement with children. Fathers' authoritarian views related negatively to their relative involvement on weekdays, and this relation held over time for caregiving and playing activities. Mothers' protective attitudes had concurrent negative associations with fathers' relative weekend involvement. Findings suggest that fathers' authoritarian and mothers' protective attitudes relate to how parenting responsibilities are shared within families and may be detrimental to how much fathers become, or choose to become, directly involved in the care of their infants in comparison to mothers. PMID:18174913

If looks could heal: Child health and paternal investment.

PubMed

Tracey, Marlon R; Polachek, Solomon W

2018-01-01

Data from the first two waves of the Fragile Family and Child Wellbeing study indicate that infants who look like their father at birth are healthier one year later. The reason is such father-child resemblance induces a father to spend more time engaged in positive parenting. An extra day (per month) of time-investment by a typical visiting father enhances child health by just over 10% of a standard deviation. This estimate is not biased by the effect of child health on father-involvement or omitted maternal ability, thereby eliminating endogeneity biases that plague existing studies. The result has implications regarding the role of a father's time in enhancing child health, especially in fragile families. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Women's characteristics and gender role attitudes: support for father involvement with children.

PubMed

Hoffman, C D; Moon, M

1999-12-01

Women's (N = 364) personal characteristics and gender role attitudes were examined in relation to their support for father involvement with children. The respondents completed measures of trust, attitudes toward women, hostility, self-esteem, and father involvement. Nontraditional gender role attitudes, positive ratings of their own interpersonal trust, and low hostility toward men were predictive of the respondents' support for father involvement. Participant demographics (including age, marital status, and number of children) were unrelated to their views of father involvement. Results indicate the importance of considering the characteristics and attitudes women bring to the co-parental relationship in the examination of factors influencing father involvement with children. Findings are discussed within the context of mothers' primary child-care and gatekeeping roles.

The role of fathers in child and adolescent psychopathology: make room for daddy.

PubMed

Phares, V; Compas, B E

1992-05-01

This review summarizes research concerning the relation between paternal factors and child and adolescent psychopathology. When compared with mothers, fathers continue to be dramatically underrepresented in developmental research on psychopathology. However, findings from studies of children of clinically referred fathers and nonreferred samples of children and their fathers indicate that there is substantial association between paternal characteristics and child and adolescent psychopathology. Findings from studies of fathers of clinically referred children are stronger for fathers' effects on children's externalizing than internalizing problems. In most cases the degree of risk associated with paternal psychopathology is comparable to that associated with maternal psychopathology. Evidence indicates that the presence of paternal psychopathology is a sufficient but not necessary condition for child or adolescent psychopathology.

Diversity in fathers' food parenting practices: A qualitative exploration within a heterogeneous sample.

PubMed

Khandpur, Neha; Charles, Jo; Blaine, Rachel E; Blake, Christine; Davison, Kirsten

2016-06-01

Food parenting practices (FPPs) are important in shaping children's dietary behaviors. However, existing FPP knowledge is largely based on research with mothers. This study (1) identified fathers' FPPs; (2) described differences in FPP use by fathers' education and residential status. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 40 fathers (39 ± 9.1 years; 37.5% non-residential; 40% ≥college education). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. NVivo 10 was used for theme detection, categorization and classification using inductive and deductive approaches. FPPs were identified and their relative distribution was examined across education and residential status. Twenty FPPs were identified - 13 responsive practices and 7 unresponsive practices. Having food rules was the most common responsive FPP (81.5%), followed by feeding on schedule (60%) and making healthy food accessible (60%). Common unresponsive FPPs were letting child dictate preferences (70%), incentivizing food consumption (60%) and pressuring the child to eat (35%). Compared to fathers with a college education, more fathers without a college education reported letting child dictate preferences (92% vs. 37%), educating their children about food (37% vs 12%), fewer reported feeding on schedule (50% vs. 75%), modeling healthy practices (29% vs. 50%), and using distraction to feed (4% vs. 37%). Compared to residential fathers, more non-residential fathers monitored (60% vs. 40%) or encouraged (60% vs. 36%) child food intake and let child dictate preferences (87% vs. 60%). Fathers used an extensive variety of FPPs, similar to those identified in mothers. Further study on the influence of fathers' education and residential status on FPP use is warranted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

"He's probably more Mr. sport than me"--a qualitative exploration of mothers' perceptions of fathers' role in their children's physical activity.

PubMed

Zahra, Jesmond; Sebire, Simon J; Jago, Russell

2015-08-26

Many children do not meet the recommended levels of physical activity. Parents can influence their children's physical activity in a number of ways but little research has focused on the impact of fathers. The current study aimed to explore how mothers perceived fathers to influence children's physical activity. Telephone interviews with mothers (n = 50) who took part in a large cross sectional physical activity study were conducted. A strategic sampling method was applied to ensure varying deprivation levels and child physical activity. Interviews were based on children's physical activity and screen viewing behaviours and patterns. A total of 37 interviews included information on fathers and were used for the current study. Deductive content analysis was used to analyse the interviews. Mothers suggested that fathers are directly involved in their child's physical activity though co-participation, whilst additionally playing an important role in encouraging and facilitating physical activity. The results suggest some variation in how mothers and fathers are involved in children's physical activity behaviours. Father availability seems to play a key role in the amount of physical activity involvement. Fathers play a key role in children's physical activity choices and behaviours and can influence children in a variety of ways. Parents tend to share in the physical activity related tasks of their children but father availability seems to be a factor in their amount of involvement. Health professionals aiming to improve child physical activity may benefit from developing interventions that target both children and fathers.

The 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids' community randomized controlled trial: a community-based healthy lifestyle program for fathers and their children.

PubMed

Morgan, Philip J; Collins, Clare E; Plotnikoff, Ronald C; Callister, Robin; Burrows, Tracy; Fletcher, Richard; Okely, Anthony D; Young, Myles D; Miller, Andrew; Lloyd, Adam B; Cook, Alyce T; Cruickshank, Joel; Saunders, Kristen L; Lubans, David R

2014-04-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the 'Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK)' program when delivered by trained facilitators in community settings. A two-arm randomized controlled trial of 93 overweight/obese fathers (mean [SD] age=40.3 [5.3] years; BMI=32.5 [3.8] kg/m(2)) and their primary school-aged children (n=132) from the Hunter Region, Australia. In 2010-2011, families were randomized to either: (i) HDHK intervention (n=48 fathers, n=72 children) or (ii) wait-list control group. The 7-week intervention included seven sessions and resources (booklets, pedometers). Assessments were held at baseline and 14-weeks with fathers' weight (kg) as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes for fathers and children included waist, BMI, blood pressure, resting heart rate, physical activity (pedometry), and self-reported dietary intake and sedentary behaviors. Linear mixed models (intention-to-treat) revealed significant between-group differences for fathers' weight (P<.001, d=0.24), with HDHK fathers losing more weight (-3.3 kg; 95%CI, -4.3, -2.4) than control fathers (0.1 kg; 95%CI, -0.9,1.0). Significant treatment effects (P<.05) were also found for fathers' waist (d=0.41), BMI (d=0.26), resting heart rate (d=0.59), energy intake (d=0.49) and physical activity (d=0.46) and for children's physical activity (d=0.50) and adiposity (d=0.07). HDHK significantly improved health outcomes and behaviors in fathers and children, providing evidence for program effectiveness when delivered in a community setting. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

A pilot study of smoking and associated behaviors of low-income expectant fathers.

PubMed

Everett, Kevin D; Gage, Jeffrey; Bullock, Linda; Longo, Daniel R; Geden, Elizabeth; Madsen, Richard W

2005-04-01

Pregnancy is considered a teachable moment for helping women who smoke to quit, yet few studies have examined smoking behavior of expectant fathers. The present study considers the possibility that pregnancy is a teachable moment for expectant fathers as well and describes smoking and associated behaviors of men during their partner's pregnancy. Participants were 138 low-income men living with their pregnant partners. Using telephone interviews, we found 63% of the men had smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. Current smoking was reported by 49.3% of expectant fathers (39.1% daily smoking; 10.2% some days). Expectant fathers' current smoking was associated with having a lower level of education (p<.0001), pregnant partner being a current smoker (p=.0002), higher quantity of alcohol consumption per day of drinking (p=.0003), and absence of smoking prohibitions inside the home (p<.0001). In the past year, 70.1% of the current smokers tried to quit. We found high rates of smoking in low-income expectant fathers, and an expectant father's smoking during his partner's pregnancy was associated with his pregnant partner continuing to smoke. A majority of expectant fathers identified as current smokers tried to quit in the past year or indicated an intention to quit in the near future. Intervention during pregnancy that targets pregnant women and expectant fathers who smoke could lead to more households without tobacco use and thus have positive implications for paternal, maternal, and family health. Further clinical and research attention is needed to address the smoking behaviors of both expectant fathers and their pregnant partners.

Effects of a Program to Promote High Quality Parenting by Divorced and Separated Fathers.

PubMed

Sandler, Irwin; Gunn, Heather; Mazza, Gina; Tein, Jenn-Yun; Wolchik, Sharlene; Berkel, Cady; Jones, Sarah; Porter, Michele

2018-05-01

This paper reports on the effects on parenting and on children's mental health problems and competencies from a randomized trial of a parenting program for divorced and separated fathers. The program, New Beginnings Program-Dads (NBP-Dads), includes ten group sessions (plus two phone sessions) which promote parenting skills to increase positive interactions with children, improve father-child communication, use of effective discipline strategies, and skills to protect children from exposure to interparental conflict. The program was adapted from the New Beginnings Program, which has been tested in two randomized trials with divorced mothers and shown to strengthen mothers' parenting and improve long-term outcomes for children (Wolchik et al. 2007). Fathers were randomly assigned to receive either NBP-Dads or a 2-session active comparison program. The sample consisted of 384 fathers (201 NBP-Dads, 183 comparisons) and their children. Assessments using father, youth, and teacher reports were conducted at pretest, posttest, and 10-month follow-up. Results indicated positive effects of NBP-Dads to strengthen parenting as reported by fathers and youth at posttest and 10-month follow-up. Program effects to reduce child internalizing problems and increase social competence were found at 10 months. Many of the program effects were moderated by baseline level of the variable, child age, gender, and father ethnicity. This is the first randomized trial to find significant effects to strengthen father parenting following divorce. In view of recent changes in family courts to allot fathers increasing amounts of parenting time following divorce, the results have significant implications for improving outcomes for children from divorced families.

A tortuous route to a capable fatherhood: the experience of being a father to a child with severe haemophilia.

PubMed

Myrin Westesson, L; Sparud-Lundin, C; Wallengren, C; Baghaei, F

2015-11-01

Haemophilia is a chronic illness that affects the whole family as the child's reactions to the illness occur in interaction with the parents. Limited research has been conducted on how fathers of children with haemophilia experience their life situation. The aim of this study was to describe the lived experience of being a father to a child with severe haemophilia. Individual, qualitative interviews were conducted with 14 fathers of 17 children with severe Haemophilia A. Data were analysed by means of a phenomenological hermeneutic method, including naïve reading, structural analysis and comprehensive interpretation. The results revealed that the fathers gradually grew into fatherhood through a process that can be explained in the metaphor, 'A tortuous road to a capable fatherhood'. The fathers experienced sorrow, powerlessness, concern and loss of a regular fatherhood after the child's diagnosis. The loss of an envisaged fatherhood emerged as the greatest sorrow of being a father to a child with haemophilia. When home treatment with factor concentrates functioned without the involvement of Health Care Personal (HCP), the fathers' sense of insufficiency decreased. A sense of being a capable father was associated with a sense of independence and control of one's life situation. Support from the Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC) in the learning process is essential for both parents of a child with severe haemophilia. Awareness of the fathers' struggle to feel capable is also vital while supporting the family in the first years after diagnosis. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cognitive and emotional differences between abusive and non-abusive fathers.

PubMed

Francis, Karen J; Wolfe, David A

2008-12-01

Abusive fathers perpetrate a substantial portion of child physical abuse. Despite this, little is known about how they differ from non-abusive fathers. This study compared a broad range of cognitive and affective factors between physically abusive and non-abusive fathers. Abusive (n=24) and non-abusive (n=25) fathers completed standard measures assessing their experience and expression of anger, mental health, parenting stress, and their empathy and perceptions of children's socio-emotional signals. Abusive fathers differed from comparisons on almost all constructs. They experienced more anger and were more likely to express that anger aggressively. They reported more mental health concerns (such as depression, hostility, and paranoid ideation), more stress in parenting, and significantly less empathy for their children. They were also more likely to perceive children's emotional expressions as depicting negative emotions, such as anger and disgust. Abusive fathers struggle with a myriad of difficulties that likely contribute to their problematic parenting. These difficulties are both inter- and intra-personal in nature. The findings suggest that abusive fathers require comprehensive assessment that includes mental health screening. Interventions should be selected carefully to target abusive fathers' high levels of negative affect and negative perceptions. Treatment strategies should address problems related to parenting style (e.g., managing stress and interpretation of children's socioemotional signals) as well as their personal adjustment (e.g., cognitive behavioral strategies for regulating affect and cognitive distortions).

Fathers' and Mothers' Verbal Responsiveness and the Language Skills of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

PubMed

Flippin, Michelle; Watson, Linda R

2015-08-01

In this observational study, we examined the interactions of 16 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents to investigate (a) differences in verbal responsiveness used by fathers and mothers in interactions with their children with ASD and (b) concurrent associations between the language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of both fathers and mothers. Parent verbal responsiveness was coded from video recordings of naturalistic parent-child play sessions using interval-based coding. Child language skills were measured by the Preschool Language Scale-Fourth Edition (Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002). For both fathers and mothers, parent verbal responsiveness was positively associated with child language skills. Mothers' responsiveness was also significantly associated with child cognition. After controlling for child cognition, fathers' verbal responsiveness continued to be significantly related to child language skills. Although other studies have documented associations between mothers' responsiveness and child language, this is the 1st study to document a significant concurrent association between child language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of fathers. Findings of this study warrant the inclusion of fathers in future research on language development and intervention to better understand the potential contributions fathers may make to language growth for children with ASD over time as well as to determine whether coaching fathers to use responsive verbal strategies can improve language outcomes for children with ASD.

Childbirth - an emotionally demanding experience for fathers.

PubMed

Johansson, Margareta; Rubertsson, Christine; Rådestad, Ingela; Hildingsson, Ingegerd

2012-03-01

While attending birth mostly has a positive impact on becoming a father, it has also been described as including feelings of discomfort and is more demanding than expected. The objective was to explore Swedish fathers' birth experiences, and factors associated with a less-positive birth experience. Mixed methods including quantitative and qualitative data were used. Two months after birth 827 fathers answered a questionnaire and 111 (13%) of these commented on the birth experience. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics, chi-square test for independence, risk ratios with a 95% confidence interval, logistic regression and content analysis. In total, 604 (74%) of the fathers had a positive or very positive birth experience. Used method identified a less-positive birth experience associated with emergency caesarean section (RR 7.5; 4.1-13.6), instrumental vaginal birth (RR 4.2; 2.3-8.0), and dissatisfaction with the partner's medical care (RR 4.6; 2.7-7.8). Healthcare professionals' competence and approach to the fathers were also related to the birth experience. As the fathers' birth experiences were associated with mode of birth and experiences of the intrapartum medical care fathers should be respectfully and empathically treated during labour and birth. It is essential to better engage fathers during the intrapartum period through involvement and support to improve the likelihood of a positive birth experience. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fathers' decline in testosterone and synchrony with partner testosterone during pregnancy predicts greater postpartum relationship investment.

PubMed

Saxbe, Darby E; Edelstein, Robin S; Lyden, Hannah M; Wardecker, Britney M; Chopik, William J; Moors, Amy C

2017-04-01

The transition to parenthood has been associated with declines in testosterone among partnered fathers, which may reflect males' motivation to invest in the family. Moreover, preliminary evidence has found that couples show correlations in hormone levels across pregnancy that may also be linked to fathers' preparation for parenthood. The current study used repeated-measures sampling of testosterone across pregnancy to explore whether fathers' change in T, and correlations with mothers' T, were associated with fathers' and mothers' postpartum investment. In a sample of 27 couples (54 individuals) expecting their first child, both parents' salivary testosterone was measured multiple times across pregnancy. At approximately 3.5months postpartum, participants rated their investment, commitment, and satisfaction with their partner. A multilevel model was used to measure change in testosterone over time and associations between mother and father testosterone. Fathers who showed stronger declines in T across pregnancy, and stronger correlations with mothers' testosterone, reported higher postpartum investment, commitment, and satisfaction. Mothers reported more postpartum investment and satisfaction if fathers showed greater prenatal declines in T. These results held even after controlling for paternal investment, commitment, and satisfaction measured prenatally at study entry. Our results suggest that changes in paternal testosterone across pregnancy, and hormonal linkage with the pregnant partner, may underlie fathers' dedication to the partner relationship across the transition to parenthood. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contemporary Fatherhood and Its Consequences for Paternal Psychological Well-being – A Cross-sectional Study of Fathers in Central Europe

PubMed Central

Waldvogel, Patricia; Ehlert, Ulrike

2016-01-01

The emotional consequences of fatherhood are markedly conditional on the context in which fatherhood is lived out. This study examines the association between different contemporary forms of fatherhood and paternal psychological well-being. The data are from an anonymous online survey of 3615 biological fathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers, and foster fathers across the German-speaking countries of Central Europe. First, a detailed characterization of the different existing family constellations is provided. Second, the consequences of these different contemporary forms of fatherhood for paternal psychological well-being are investigated. Fathers of all ages (M = 40.11, range: 19–72) with at least one child under the age of 18 were included in the present analysis (N = 2785). The presented findings demonstrate that a family structure consisting of two biological parents with biological children seems to be most beneficial to paternal well-being, while some other forms of contemporary fatherhood are associated with impaired well-being, independently of sociodemographic or relationship aspects. More specifically, a history of family separation in non-residential biological fathers and blended-family fathers, and the concomitant loss of father–child contact, is shown to be particularly disadvantageous for the well-being of these fathers. Shared living arrangements, maintaining regular contact with biological children, or forming a new intact family could protect these fathers from negative outcomes. PMID:27679796

Symptoms of Major Depression in a Sample of Fathers of Infants: Sociodemographic Correlates and Links to Father Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Moore, Kristin A.; Matthews, Gregory; Carrano, Jennifer

2007-01-01

Depression has been extensively studied for mothers but not for fathers. This study examines the sociodemographic correlates of symptoms of depression and how depression is associated with father involvement using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview-Short Form (CIDI-SF) for major depression. The study uses a sample of 2,139 resident…

Celebrating Fathers as a Resource in Early Child Care Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parlakian, Rebecca; Rovaris, J. Michael

2009-01-01

In many child care programs, father involvement is still not on a par with that of mothers. For these programs, "parent" typically means "mother". There are a host of possible reasons for this difference, including fathers' work schedules, a belief that child care is a mother's domain, and fathers feeling unwelcome or out of place in the child…

Paternal Mental Health Trajectory Classes and Early Fathering Experiences: Prospective Study on a Normative and Formerly Infertile Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vänskä, Mervi; Punamäki, Raija-Leena; Tolvanen, Asko; Lindblom, Jallu; Flykt, Marjo; Unkila-Kallio, Leila; Tulppala, Maija; Tiitinen, Aila

2017-01-01

A father's mental health is important for family well-being, but research is scarce on paternal symptoms during the transition to fatherhood. This study identified fathers' latent mental health trajectory classes from the pre- to postnatal period and examined their associations with early fathering experiences. It further analysed, whether a…

The Greatest Threat: Spiritual Decay

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-10

longer led by those who understand the spiritual dimension of leadership envisioned and demonstrated by our founding fathers. Our founding fathers knew...The Growing Threat-- A Crumbling House ..... 14 IV Soldiering--The Spiritual Dimension............ 21 V Spiritual Leadership ....... 28 VI Conclusion...dimension of leadership envisioned and demonstrated by our founding fathers. Our founding fathers knew and accepted their role as spiritual leaders and

Working with Urban, African American Fathers: The Importance of Service Provision, Joining, Accountability, the Father-Child Relationship, and Couples Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greif, Geoffrey L.; Jones, Joseph T., Jr.; Worthy, James; White, Eddie; Davis, Will; Pitchford, Edward

2011-01-01

Urban, African American fathers have been a difficult population for social workers and other helping professionals to effectively serve. This article, based on interviews with front-line African American service professionals at a father-focused program, who also participated in writing this article, provides information about and suggestions for…

Psychological Well-Being in Fathers of Adolescents and Young Adults with Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome, and Autism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartley, Sigan L.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Head, Lara; Abbeduto, Leonard

2012-01-01

The psychological well-being of fathers of children with developmental disabilities remains poorly understood. The present study examined depressive symptoms, pessimism, and coping in fathers of adolescents and young adults with Down syndrome (DS;n = 59), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs;n = 135), and Fragile X syndrome (n = 46). Fathers of sons or…

Young Women's Phenomenological Sense of Father and Parental Marital Relationship and Their Relation to Paternal Loss.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darlington, Susan

The meaning fathers have in the lives of women as they are growing up was investigated. Women's perceptions of their fathers on several factors were measured to determine how these perceptions differed with father loss, cause and time of loss, perception of parental marital relationships, and presence of an older brother. Questionnaires were…

A Survey of the Parenting Attitudes of Young Black Fathers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connor, Michael E.

In the past, the social science literature has ignored or played down the role of fathers in relation to childrearing in the United States. Until recently, the few studies which did consider the role of fathers in childrearing tended to focus on negatives, particularly studies of Black fathers. Much of this research deals with only a fraction of…

Duration of Leave and Resident Fathers' Involvement in Infant Care in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosking, Amanda; Whitehouse, Gillian; Baxter, Janeen

2010-01-01

This article uses time-diary data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC; N = 2,157 weekday diaries; N = 2,110 weekend diaries) to examine differences in infants' time with a resident father at age 4-19 months according to fathers' duration of leave around the birth. Results showed that those infants whose fathers took 4 weeks'…

Fathers' Involvement with Their Preschool-Age Children: How Fathers Spend Time with Their Children in Different Family Structures

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halme, Nina; Astedt-Kurki, Paivi; Tarkka, Marja-Terttu

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe how fathers (n = 263) spent time with their preschool-age children and to compare it in different family structures. Data were gathered by structured questionnaires. The instrument included five categories of variables for the time spent: the quantity of time, physical activities, fathers' attitude towards…

Latino Men and their Fathers: Exploring How Community Cultural Wealth Influences their Community College Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sáenz, Victor B.; de las Mercédez, Carmen; Rodriguez, Sarah L.; García-Louis, Claudia

2017-01-01

Academic scholarship has demonstrated the importance of father engagement in fostering early educational success of their children, but little exploration in this area has focused on the role that fathers play in the college success of their Latino male sons. The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand the role of fathers in the…

Working on the Weekend: Fathers' Time with Family in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hook, Jennifer L.

2012-01-01

Whereas most resident fathers are able to spend more time with their children on weekends than on weekdays, many fathers work on the weekends, spending less time with their children on these days. There are conflicting findings about whether fathers are able to make up for lost weekend time on weekdays. Using unique features of the United…

The 1990s Father: Balancing Work & Family Concerns. BNA Special Report Series on Work & Family. Special Report #18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., Washington, DC.

This report examines the issues surrounding working fathers and the changing expectations of fatherhood that are creating the necessity for changes in the workplace. Issues examined include the following: (1) fathers are torn between employers expecting super employees and mothers expecting super fathers; (2) a few companies are taking note of the…

Supporting of the Fathers to Visit Their Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Decreases Their Stress Level: A Pretest-Posttest Quasi-Experimental Study.

PubMed

Kardaş Özdemir, Funda; Küçük Alemdar, Dilek

2017-05-01

It is known that fathers whose infants are hospitalized in NICUs (Neonatal Intensive Care Units) are severely stressed. This study was conducted for the purpose of determining the effect of supporting and visiting infants in NICUs on stress levels of Turkish fathers. This was a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study. The population of the study consisted of 47 fathers who had their infants receiving treatment in NICU at a state hospital in the eastern Turkey and agreed to participate in the study. The data were collected by using "Father-Infant Introductory Information Form" and "Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, PSS:NICU". When comparing the PSS:NICU total mean scores of the fathers before and after interventions; it was determined that their mean scores were higher before visits compared to those obtained after interventions and the difference between them was significant at advanced level. It was found that the fathers visiting and supporting their infants in NICUs had the decreased stress levels. It is a useful nursing intervention to support fathers to visit their babies in NICUs and establish environments where they could spend time with their babies.

Factors associated with father involvement in infant care.

PubMed

Falceto, Olga G; Fernandes, Carmen L; Baratojo, Claudia; Giugliani, Elsa R J

2008-12-01

To identify factors associated with the lack of active father involvement in infant care at four months of age. Cross-sectional study involving families of 153 infants at four months of age, interviewed in their homes by two family therapists. In addition to father involvement in infant care, sociodemographic, parental mental health (using the Self Report Questionnaire-20 scale and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV criteria assessment) and quality of couple relationship characteristics (using the Assessment of Relational Functioning from Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV) were analyzed. Poisson regression was employed to assess the association between lack of father involvement in child care and the variables selected. Prevalence ratio was used to estimate the magnitude of associations. Fathers of 13% of infants had no contact with their children. Among families whose parents lived together (78% of all), 33% of the fathers reported not actively participating in their children's care. Problematic couple relationship and mother as a housewife were associated with lack of father involvement in infant care. High prevalence of families whose father is not actively involved with infant care, especially when couple relationship is problematic and the mother does not have a paid job.

Associations of contextual risk and protective factors with fathers' parenting practices in the postdeployment environment.

PubMed

Davis, Laurel; Hanson, Sheila K; Zamir, Osnat; Gewirtz, Abigail H; DeGarmo, David S

2015-08-01

Deployment separation and reunifications are salient contexts that directly impact effective family functioning and parenting for military fathers. Yet, we know very little about determinants of postdeployed father involvement and effective parenting. The present study examined hypothesized risk and protective factors of observed parenting for 282 postdeployed fathers who served in the National Guard/Reserves. Preintervention data were employed from fathers participating in the After Deployment, Adaptive Parenting Tools randomized control trial. Parenting practices were obtained from direct observation of father-child interaction and included measures of problem solving, harsh discipline, positive involvement, encouragement, and monitoring. Risk factors included combat exposure, negative life events, months deployed, and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Protective factors included education, income, dyadic adjustment, and social support. Results of a structural equation model assessing risk and protective factors for an effective parenting construct indicated that months deployed, income, and father age were most related to observed parenting, explaining 16% of the variance. We are aware of no other study using direct parent-child observations of fathers' parenting skills following overseas deployment. Implications for practice and preventive intervention are discussed. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Concealed concern: fathers' experiences of having a child with juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

PubMed

Waite-Jones, J M; Madill, A

2008-01-01

Despite increased research into families of chronically ill children, more needs to be known about the father's experience. We address this issue through asking: 'What is it like to be the father of a child with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis?' (JIA). Four members of eight families with an adolescent diagnosed with JIA, including seven fathers, were interviewed and transcripts analysed using grounded theory. This study suggests that fathers of children with JIA experience several severe losses which are exacerbated through comparisons they make between their own situation and that of fathers of healthy children. In addition, the fathers faced several constraints which reduced their opportunities to communicate with their ill child through shared activities. Fathers appeared to conceal their distress by adopting strategies of denial and distraction however their adjustment was facilitated, to some extent, by social support. They could also develop greater acceptance of their situation over time as the care of their ill child became assimilated into family life and constraints upon their life gradually reduced through the increased maturity of their son or daughter with JIA. These findings have implications for healthcare professionals and voluntary organisations.

Fathers and breast feeding very-low-birthweight preterm babies.

PubMed

Sweet, Linda; Darbyshire, Philip

2009-10-01

to explore fathers' experiences of the breast feeding of their very-low-birthweight preterm babies from birth to 12 months of age. a qualitative study using interpretive phenomenology. Data were collected via longitudinal in-depth individual interviews. publicly funded tertiary level hospital, Australia. a purposive sample of 17 Australian parents took part in the broader study. This paper reports on data from the seven participant fathers. this paper explores the discursive changes in fathers' accounts of their perspectives on and support of the breast feeding of their preterm baby. The fathers' accounts highlight their marked influence on breast feeding, their ambivalent experiences related to breast feeding and their struggle in negotiating a parenting role related to baby feeding. this study highlights the role and influence that fathers of preterm babies have on breast feeding, and explores the tensions and paradoxes inherent in promoting the ideology of breast feeding while valuing the practice of bottle feeding. this study highlights the need to encourage and involve fathers in breast-feeding education including the impact of bottle feeding on breast-feeding outcomes. The active and positive contribution that fathers make towards preterm breast feeding should be acknowledged and encouraged.

Marital stress and children's externalizing behavior as predictors of mothers' and fathers' parenting.

PubMed

Elam, Kit K; Chassin, Laurie; Eisenberg, Nancy; Spinrad, Tracy L

2017-10-01

Previous research suggests that mothers' and fathers' parenting may be differentially influenced by marital and child factors within the family. Some research indicates that marital stress is more influential in fathers' than mothers' parenting, whereas other research shows that children's difficult behavior preferentially affects mothers' parenting. The present study examined marital stress and children's externalizing behavior in middle childhood as predictors of mothers' versus fathers' consistency, monitoring, and support and care in early adolescence, and the subsequent associations of these parenting behaviors with externalizing behavior 1.5 years later. Pathways were examined within a longitudinal mediation model testing for moderation by parent gender (N = 276 mothers, N = 229 fathers). Children's externalizing behavior in middle childhood was found to more strongly inversely predict mothers' versus fathers' monitoring in early adolescence. In contrast, marital stress more strongly predicted low monitoring for fathers than for mothers. Regardless of parent gender, marital stress predicted lower levels of parental consistency, and children's externalizing behavior predicted lower levels of parental support. Mothers' monitoring and fathers' support in early adolescence predicted lower levels of externalizing behavior 1.5 years later. The results are discussed with respect to family transactions relative to parent gender and implications for intervention.

The association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment security: a meta-analysis of three decades of research.

PubMed

Lucassen, Nicole; Tharner, Anne; Van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J; Volling, Brenda L; Verhulst, Frank C; Lambregtse-Van den Berg, Mijke P; Tiemeier, Henning

2011-12-01

For almost three decades, the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment security has been studied. The first wave of studies on the correlates of infant-father attachment showed a weak association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment security (r = .13, p < .001, k = 8, N = 546). In the current paper, a meta-analysis of the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment based on all studies currently available is presented, and the change over time of the association between paternal sensitivity and infant-father attachment is investigated. Studies using an observational measure of paternal interactive behavior with the infant, and the Strange Situation Procedure to observe the attachment relationship were included. Paternal sensitivity is differentiated from paternal sensitivity combined with stimulation in the interaction with the infant. Higher levels of paternal sensitivity were associated with more infant-father attachment security (r = .12, p < .001, k = 16, N = 1,355). Fathers' sensitive play combined with stimulation was not more strongly associated with attachment security than sensitive interactions without stimulation of play. Despite possible changes in paternal role patterns, we did not find stronger associations between paternal sensitivity and infant attachment in more recent years.

A qualitative exploration of first-time fathers' experiences of becoming a father.

PubMed

Chin, Rachel; Daiches, Anna; Hall, Pauline

2011-07-01

This study aimed to explore first-time fathers' experiences of becoming a father, focusing on their expectations, experiences, and how they are coping with this transition. An interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) epistemology and methodology were adopted as the study was focused on understanding the meaning and experiences of this transition for fathers. Nine participants were recruited from seven NCT antenatal classes. The mean age of participants was 38 years (range=30 to 46 years). Participants completed a semi-structured interview between four and eleven weeks post birth. One overarching superordinate theme was derived: 'searching for a place'. This theme consisted of three sub-themes--'the separation connection struggle', 'a sense of utility, agency and control' and 'changing focus of affection'. The findings expand on our understanding of new fathers' experiences, and suggest that first-time fathers experienced an array of psychological responses during each stage of their transition as they searched for their place as father in relation to their partner, child and work. Professionals working in antenatal and postnatal services should discuss with men the possible emotional and psychological changes they may go through to enable more realistic expectations to be considered.

Coping with a child with acute lymphocytic leukemia: the experiences of Chinese fathers in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Wills, Betty Shuc Han

2009-01-01

Using a qualitative approach, this article aims to describe the experiences of Hong Kong Chinese fathers whose children were diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia. The experiences and coping strategies used were viewed from the gender perspective. Two in-depth interviews scheduled to coincide with the disease trajectory of acute lymphocytic leukemia were conducted with 9 fathers, and data were analyzed using the matrix system described by Miles and Huberman. Four categories were identified, including fathers' initial reactions to the child's confirmed diagnosis, the decision to disclose the child's diagnosis to others, social support of the fathers, and their effective coping mechanisms. Previous research has shown that men are expected to be emotionally strong to support their spouse. Findings from this study indicate that Hong Kong Chinese fathers need emotional support especially at the onset of the child's diagnosis. Implications for healthcare professionals include the need for ongoing psychosocial support and education over the course of the child's illness. Thus, assessment of the different coping strategies used by the fathers plays a vital role in providing quality care to these fathers. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future research are also included.

Hush now baby: mothers' and fathers' strategies for soothing their infants and associated parenting outcomes.

PubMed

Dayton, Carolyn Joy; Walsh, Tova B; Oh, Wonjung; Volling, Brenda

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the types of soothing behaviors used by mothers and fathers of infants, differences in use trajectories over time, and associated parenting outcomes. A longitudinal study of 241 families expecting their second child was performed. Data were collected at 1, 4, and 8 postnatal months and included measures of parental soothing techniques, involvement in soothing, distress in response to infant crying, and parenting self-efficacy. The average number of soothing techniques used was 7.7 for mothers and 5.9 for fathers. Soothing frequency decreased over time, and change patterns of soothing differed over time by gender. In couples who shared responsibility for soothing, fathers felt more efficacious in parenting and mothers were less upset by infant crying. Clinicians are encouraged to support fathers' engagement in infant soothing, facilitate the development of fathers' parenting confidence, and promote fathers' involvement in children's health and health care. Copyright © 2015 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fathers for Change for Substance Use and Intimate Partner Violence: Initial Community Pilot.

PubMed

Stover, Carla Smith

2015-12-01

The lack of focus on the role of men as fathers within intervention programs for men with histories of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) or substance abuse is of significant concern given the large numbers of these men who are actively parenting and coparenting children. Fathers for Change is a new intervention designed to fill this gap. Eighteen fathers with co-occurring IPV and substance abuse were randomly assigned to Fathers for Change or Individual Drug Counseling (IDC). They were assessed at baseline, post-intervention and 3 months following the 16-week intervention period. Men in the Fathers for Change group: (1) were more likely to complete treatment; (2) reported significantly greater satisfaction with the program; (3) reported a trend toward less IPV; and (4) exhibited significantly less intrusiveness in coded play interactions with their children following treatment than fathers in the IDC group. Results indicate further evaluation of this intervention in a larger sample is warranted. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

Psychological distress among employed fathers: associations with family structure, work quality, and the work-family interface.

PubMed

Janzen, Bonnie L; Kelly, Ivan W

2012-07-01

The aim of this study was to compare levels of psychological distress in employed single fathers relative to partnered fathers and to explore the role of psychosocial job quality, work-family conflict, and work-family facilitation as explanations for differences in distress. The data were collected from a cross-sectional telephone survey conducted in a Canadian city. Participants were 486 employed fathers with children living in the household. In addition to experiencing higher levels of psychological distress than partnered fathers (p = .057), single fathers reported greater work-family conflict, poorer work quality, and lower family-to-work facilitation. Adjusting for the strain-based work-family conflict variables in the regression analysis resulted in the largest reduction to the association between partner status and psychological distress. Future research employing a longitudinal design and subject to lower selection biases is required to tease out the interrelationship between these exposures and to point to the most appropriate policies to support employed single fathers.

A qualitative analysis of father-son relationships among HIV-positive young black men who have sex with men.

PubMed

Hussen, Sophia A; Gilliard, Danielle; Caldwell, Cleopatra H; Andes, Karen; Chakraborty, Rana; Malebranche, David J

2014-08-01

Young black men who have sex with men (YBMSM) are experiencing high and rising rates of HIV infection, more than any other age-risk group category in the USA. Contributors to HIV risk in this group remain incompletely elucidated. We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews with 20 HIV-positive YBMSM aged 17-24 and found that father-son relationships were perceived to be important sociocontextual influences in participants' lives. Participants discussed the degree of their fathers' involvement in their lives, emotional qualities of the father-son relationship, communication about sex, and masculine socialization. Participants also described pathways linking father-son relationships to HIV risk, which were mediated by psychological and situational risk scenarios. Our thematic analysis suggests that father-son relationships are important to the psychosocial development of YBMSM, with the potential to either exacerbate or attenuate sexual risk for HIV. Interventions designed to strengthen father-son relationships may provide a promising direction for future health promotion efforts in this population.

The parenting role of African American fathers in the context of urban poverty

PubMed Central

Threlfall, Jennifer M.; Seay, Kristen D.; Kohl, Patricia L.

2013-01-01

This qualitative study examines low-income African American fathers’ perceptions of their parenting role and the strategies they employ to bring up children in poor urban neighborhoods. Focus groups and individual interviews were conducted with 36 fathers who had contact with their children at least twice a month. Men in the study expressed conventional views of their fathering roles as provider, nurturer, and teacher, but placed the most emphasis on “being there” for their children, as their financial circumstances limited other forms of involvement. Many fathers felt their circumstances to be exacerbated by a hostile child-support system. They desired to teach their children alternatives to the negative practices and values they saw in their urban neighborhoods and to have the skills to prosper in mainstream society. Overall, the findings suggest that many low-income urban fathers already desire to be responsible fathers but see themselves as limited by material and structural challenges. Services and policies that promote the economic stability of low-income fathers are recommended. PMID:23914131

A confidant support and problem solving model of divorced fathers' parenting.

PubMed

Degarmo, David S; Forgatch, Marion S

2012-03-01

This study tested a hypothesized social interaction learning (SIL) model of confidant support and paternal parenting. The latent growth curve analysis employed 230 recently divorced fathers, of which 177 enrolled support confidants, to test confidant support as a predictor of problem solving outcomes and problem solving outcomes as predictors of change in fathers' parenting. Fathers' parenting was hypothesized to predict growth in child behavior. Observational measures of support behaviors and problem solving outcomes were obtained from structured discussions of personal and parenting issues faced by the fathers. Findings replicated and extended prior cross-sectional studies with divorced mothers and their confidants. Confidant support predicted better problem solving outcomes, problem solving predicted more effective parenting, and parenting in turn predicted growth in children's reduced total problem behavior T scores over 18 months. Supporting a homophily perspective, fathers' antisociality was associated with confidant antisociality but only fathers' antisociality influenced the support process model. Intervention implications are discussed regarding SIL parent training and social support.

An exploratory study of communication, gender-role conflict, and social support of parents of children treated at children's hospital.

PubMed

Hall, Jeffrey A

2010-01-01

This article explores the relationships between communication and social support of parents of children with cancer (N = 44), and the importance of gender-role conflict in fathers. Structural equation modeling and the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model were used to test the expected relationships between communication, social support, gender-role conflict, and anxiety, and to control for sample nonindependence. Results suggest communication increases perceived emotional and instrumental social support between parents, and instrumental support from fathers results in less anxiety for mothers. When fathers experienced more conflict about their role as financial supporter for the family (i.e., career achievement gender-role conflict), fathers perceived less instrumental and emotional support from their wives. However, fathers who experienced more conflict about career achievement were also less anxious. A second measure of fathers' gender-role conflict (i.e., emotional expression) was unrelated to either mothers' or fathers' outcomes. The role of gender, communication, and social support in the context of pediatric oncology is discussed.

The Role of Ethnicity in Father Absence and Children’s School Enrollment in Guatemala

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Despite the historical prevalence of single motherhood in Latin America and its rise in recent years, there is limited knowledge on the magnitude and consequences of father absence as experienced by children. Using a nationally representative sample from the 2002 Guatemalan Reproductive Health Survey, this study provides unprecedented documentation on the national prevalence of children’s separate living arrangements from their biological fathers and nonresident fathers’ paternity establishment and child support payments. Using random-intercept models, this study further demonstrates that father absence has a negative effect on the school enrollment of indigenous children of both sexes and Ladino male children. Increased poverty in father-absent households explains a smaller proportion of this adverse effect on indigenous children, suggesting that their fathers, when present, play a stronger social, rather than economic, role compared to their Ladino counterparts. Finally, child support payments attenuate the negative effects of father absence, particularly among Ladino male children. PMID:20694028

Family Ties and Young Fathers’ Engagement in Cape Town, South Africa

PubMed Central

Clark, Shelley; Cotton, Cassandra; Marteleto, Leticia J.

2015-01-01

Young South African fathers are often engaged in their children’s lives even if they do not live together. Using longitudinal data on children (n = 1,209) from the Cape Town area, the authors show that although only 26% of young fathers live with their children, 66% of nonresidential fathers maintain regular contact, and 61% provide financial support. The father–child relationship, however, is embedded in broader family ties. The type of father–mother relationship is strongly associated with whether fathers coreside with their children, but not with fathers’ contact with nonresidential children. Close mother and maternal grandmother bonds reduce the likelihood that fathers live with their children, whereas close ties between fathers and paternal grandmothers increase the chance that fathers visit nonresidential children. Family ties do not affect fathers’ financial contributions, which are driven by men’s current economic situation. These findings illustrate that father–child relationships are best understood in the context of interacting family systems. PMID:25774066

Scenes of fathering: The automobile as a place of occupation.

PubMed

Bonsall, Aaron

2015-01-01

While occupations are increasingly analyzed within contexts, other than the home, the ordinary places that facilitate occupations have been overlooked. The aim of this article is to explore the automobile as a place of occupation using data from an ethnographic study of fathers of children with disabilities. Qualitative data obtained through observations and interviews with the fathers and their families were analyzed using a narrative approach. Properties that influence interactions include opportunities to communicate, the vehicle itself, and electronics. Driving children in the automobile fulfills fathering responsibilities and is a time for connecting. For the fathers in this study, the automobile represents a place for negotiating complex demands of fathering. This study demonstrates not only the importance of the automobile, but also the influence of the immediate space on the construction of occupations.

Fathers' Lived Experiences of Getting to Know Their Baby While Acting as Primary Caregivers Immediately Following Birth

PubMed Central

Erlandsson, Kerstin; Christensson, Kyllike; Fagerberg, Ingegerd

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the meaning of the father's lived experiences when taking care of his infant as the primary caregiver during the first hours after birth, when the infant was apart from the mother due to the mother's postoperative care. Fifteen fathers were interviewed between 8 days and 6 weeks after the birth. The results describe a movement toward father-child togetherness characterized by an immediate and gradual change within the father as he undertakes increasing responsibility while getting to know his child. The results can be discussed in antenatal classes in order to integrate the father's important role in the care of his infant, especially in a situation where the mother-infant dyad has been interrupted. PMID:19252686

The association between self-perceived parental role and meaning in life among gay and heterosexual fathers.

PubMed

Shenkman, Geva; Shmotkin, Dov

2016-08-01

The association between self-perceived parental role and meaning in life (indicated by personal growth and purpose in life) was explored among 82 Israeli gay fathers that were individually matched with 82 heterosexual fathers. Self-perceived parental role was associated with meaning in life and this association was moderated by sexual orientation, demonstrating a significant positive association between self-perceived parental role and meaning in life among gay fathers but not among heterosexual fathers. The results are interpreted in light of the unique parental role gay fathers possibly construct in the context of intentional parenting and through possible life circumstances which appear associated with increased feelings of personal growth and purpose in life. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Paternal programming in sticklebacks

PubMed Central

Stein, Laura R.; Bell, Alison M.

2015-01-01

In a wide range of organisms, including humans, mothers can influence offspring via the care they provide. Comparatively little is known about the effects of fathering on offspring. Here, we test the hypothesis that fathers are capable of programming their offspring for the type of environment they are likely to encounter. Male threespine sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus, were either exposed to predation risk while fathering or not. Fathers altered their paternal behaviour when exposed to predation risk, and consequently produced adult offspring with phenotypes associated with strong predation pressure (smaller size, reduced body condition, reduced behavioural activity). Moreover, more attentive fathers produced offspring that showed stronger antipredator responses. These results are consistent with behaviourally mediated paternal programming: fathers can alter offspring phenotypes to match their future environment and influence offspring traits well into adulthood. PMID:27011391

Differences between fathers and mothers in the treatment of, and relationship with, their teenage children: perceptions of Chinese adolescents.

PubMed

Shek, D T

2000-01-01

Chinese adolescents' perceptions of differences between mothers and fathers in parenting styles, parent-adolescent communication (frequency and related feelings), and quality of the parent-adolescent relationship were assessed via questionnaires and individual interviews. Fathers, as compared with mothers, were perceived to be less responsive, less demanding, to demonstrate less concern, but to be more harsh, and paternal parenting was less liked. There was less communication with fathers, and adolescents reported more negative feelings when communicating with fathers than with mothers. They evaluated the father-adolescent relationship more negatively than they did the mother-adolescent relationship. Adolescent females, as compared with males, perceived their parents to be more demanding but less harsh. Parenting characteristics were rated less favorably across time.

Patterns and predictors of growth in divorced fathers' health status and substance use.

PubMed

DeGarmo, David S; Reid, John B; Leve, Leslie D; Chamberlain, Patricia; Knutson, John F

2010-03-01

Health status and substance use trajectories are described over 18 months for a county sample of 230 divorced fathers of young children aged 4 to 11. One third of the sample was clinically depressed. Health problems, drinking, and hard drug use were stable over time for the sample, whereas depression, smoking, and marijuana use exhibited overall mean reductions. Variance components revealed significant individual differences in average levels and trajectories for health and substance use outcomes. Controlling for fathers' antisociality, negative life events, and social support, fathering identity predicted reductions in health-related problems and marijuana use. Father involvement reduced drinking and marijuana use. Antisociality was the strongest risk factor for health and substance use outcomes. Implications for application of a generative fathering perspective in practice and preventive interventions are discussed.

Who takes paternity leave? A cohort study on prior social and health characteristics among fathers in Stockholm.

PubMed

Månsdotter, Anna; Fredlund, Peeter; Hallqvist, Johan; Magnusson, Cecilia

2010-09-01

Progress towards gender equality involves changes in the traditional parental division - female caring and male breadwinning. One aspect is increased parental leave for fathers, which may benefit the health of mothers, children, and fathers themselves. We examined how social and health characteristics (2002) were associated with paternity leave in excess of the 'father quota' of 60 days (2003-2006) in the Stockholm Public Health Cohort. Generally, fathers with stable social position, fit lifestyles, and good health had increased chances of paternity leave uptake. Our findings may contribute to identifying target groups for parental leave strategies among fathers; they indicate also that research on gender equality and public health must carefully address the problems of confounding and health-related selection.

Marital Satisfaction and Parenting Experiences of Mothers and Fathers of Adolescents and Adults With Autism

PubMed Central

Hartley, Sigan L.; Barker, Erin T.; Seltzer, Marsha Mailick; Greenberg, Jan S.; Floyd, Frank J.

2011-01-01

The association of marital satisfaction with parenting burden and quality of the parent–child relationship was examined in 91 married mothers and fathers of co-residing adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders. Within-couple differences between mothers and fathers in how child characteristics related to these parenting experiences were also evaluated. Multilevel modeling was used to control for the dependency in couple data. Marital satisfaction was an important predictor of parenting experiences, particularly for fathers. Mothers reported feeling closer to their son or daughter than did fathers. Fathers’ parenting experiences were more strongly impacted by child characteristics than were mothers’ parenting experiences. Results emphasized the connection between the marital relationship and parenting experiences and overlapping but unique experiences of mothers and fathers. PMID:21291312

"Eating-together" mealtimes with African-American fathers and their toddlers.

PubMed

A Horodynski, Mildred; Arndt, Mary Jo

2005-05-01

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate in African-American children. Fathers influence mealtime behaviors but are often overlooked in nutrition education. A sample of six African-American fathers of toddlers participated in a focus group to describe mealtime behaviors with their toddlers. The focus group was audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. Five thematic categories were identified: mealtime rituals and routines, division of responsibility, family constellation, nutritional knowledge, and tension during mealtimes. Fathers expressed frustration with the toddler's "picky-eater" developmental stage. Fathers need to be included in nutrition education that promotes healthy mealtime habits with their toddlers.

Neonatal Bathing and Massage Intervention with Fathers, Behavioural Effects 12 Weeks after Birth of the First Baby: The Sunraysia Australia Intervention Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholz, Kim; Samuels, Curtis A.

1992-01-01

Examined the effect on father-infant relationships of a parent training program on infant massage and bathing. Infants in the treatment group greeted fathers with more eye contact, smiles, vocalizing, reaching, and orienting responses and showed less avoidance behavior than did control group infants. Fathers in the treatment group showed greater…

Father Presence and Educational Attainment: Dad as a Catalyst for High School Graduations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mackey, Bonnie; Mackey, Wade C.

2012-01-01

The role of the on-going social father in America has received increased attention in the last quarter century. In some quarters, the U.S. father has been viewed as supernumerary or optional. In other quarters, the U.S. father has been perceived to be essential to the optimum development of his children. Still other factions have been intermediate…

A Feasibility Study on Recruiting Fathers of Young Children to Examine the Impact of Paternal Depression on Child Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sherr, Lorraine; Dave, Shreya; Lucas, Patricia; Senior, Rob; Nazareth, Irwin

2006-01-01

Fathers are underrepresented in research on mental health and child outcome. We tested a range of methods of recruitment of fathers to establish feasibility and recruitment rates to obtain a sample for a study on paternal depression and child development. The study took place in North London. Fathers of children aged 6 years and under were…

Just Doing What They Gotta Do: Single Black Custodial Fathers Coping with the Stresses and Reaping the Rewards of Parenting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coles, Roberta L.

2009-01-01

For single African American custodial fathers, parenting stress is exacerbated by the cultural expectation that Black fathers are "normally" absent and by the clustering of stresses that Black men are more likely to encounter. This sample of African American fathers have used a repertoire of problem-focused and cognitive coping strategies,…

20 CFR 404.421 - How are deductions made when a beneficiary fails to have a child in his or her care?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... husband's benefits for such month (see subpart D of this part). (b) Mother's or father's benefits—(1) Widow or widower. A deduction is made from the mother's or father's benefits to which he or she is...) Surviving divorced mother or father. A deduction is made from the mother's or father's benefits to which he...

20 CFR 404.421 - How are deductions made when a beneficiary fails to have a child in his or her care?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... husband's benefits for such month (see subpart D of this part). (b) Mother's or father's benefits—(1) Widow or widower. A deduction is made from the mother's or father's benefits to which he or she is...) Surviving divorced mother or father. A deduction is made from the mother's or father's benefits to which he...

A Father's Role in His Child's Development. Unit for Child Studies. Selected Papers Number 20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Ross

By considering three historical stages of the father's role in the development of his child (father of the past, present, and future), one may perceive a pattern. The father of the past had a clearly defined role; however, this role did not take into account the emotional well-being of family members. Consequently, all in the family lost out,…

Schooling in Suburbia: The Intersections of Race, Class, Gender, and Place in Black Fathers' Engagement and Family-School Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Posey-Maddox, Linn

2017-01-01

Few studies have explored the engagement of fathers in children's schooling. Understanding the role that black fathers, in particular, play in their children's education is both important and timely given the persistent opportunity gaps faced by many black students in the US and the influential role that black fathers can play in their children's…

What Are the Parenting Experiences of Fathers? The Use of Household Survey Data to Inform Decisions about the Delivery of Evidence-Based Parenting Interventions to Fathers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Matthew R.; Dittman, Cassandra K.; Keown, Louise J.; Farruggia, Sue; Rose, Dennis

2010-01-01

Participants were 933 fathers participating in a large-scale household survey of parenting practices in Queensland Australia. Although the majority of fathers reported having few problems with their children, a significant minority reported behavioral and emotional problems and 5% reported that their child showed a potentially problematic level of…

My Daddy Takes Care of Me! Fathers as Care Providers. Current Population Reports. Household Economic Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casper, Lynne M.

1997-01-01

This report examines statistical data on fathers caring for their children during mothers' working hours and which types of fathers are the most likely to take care of their children. Data are taken from the Survey of Income and Program Participation, a longitudinal survey conducted at four-month intervals by the Census Bureau. Care by fathers is…

A Prospective Three Generational Study of Fathers' Constructive Parenting: Influences from Family of Origin, Adolescent Adjustment, and Offspring Temperament

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerr, David C. R.; Capaldi, Deborah M.; Pears, Katherine C.; Owen, Lee D.

2009-01-01

This prospective, intergenerational study considered multiple influences on 102 fathers' constructive parenting of 181 children. Fathers in the 2nd generation (G2) were recruited as boys on the basis of neighborhood risk for delinquency and assessed through early adulthood. The fathers' parents (G1) and the G2 mothers of G3 also participated. A…

Practitioner Review: Engaging fathers – recommendations for a game change in parenting interventions based on a systematic review of the global evidence

PubMed Central

Panter-Brick, Catherine; Burgess, Adrienne; Eggerman, Mark; McAllister, Fiona; Pruett, Kyle; Leckman, James F

2014-01-01

Background Despite robust evidence of fathers’ impact on children and mothers, engaging with fathers is one of the least well-explored and articulated aspects of parenting interventions. It is therefore critical to evaluate implicit and explicit biases manifested in current approaches to research, intervention, and policy. Methods We conducted a systematic database and a thematic hand search of the global literature on parenting interventions. Studies were selected from Medline, Psychinfo, SSCI, and Cochrane databases, and from gray literature on parenting programs, using multiple search terms for parent, father, intervention, and evaluation. We tabulated single programs and undertook systematic quality coding to review the evidence base in terms of the scope and nature of data reporting. Results After screening 786 nonduplicate records, we identified 199 publications that presented evidence on father participation and impact in parenting interventions. With some notable exceptions, few interventions disaggregate ‘father’ or ‘couple’ effects in their evaluation, being mostly driven by a focus on the mother–child dyad. We identified seven key barriers to engaging fathers in parenting programs, pertaining to cultural, institutional, professional, operational, content, resource, and policy considerations in their design and delivery. Conclusions Barriers to engaging men as parents work against father inclusion as well as father retention, and undervalue coparenting as contrasted with mothering. Robust evaluations of father participation and father impact on child or family outcomes are stymied by the ways in which parenting interventions are currently designed, delivered, and evaluated. Three key priorities are to engage fathers and coparenting couples successfully, to disaggregate process and impact data by fathers, mothers, and coparents, and to pay greater attention to issues of reach, sustainability, cost, equity, and scale-up. Clarity of purpose with respect to gender-differentiated and coparenting issues in the design, delivery, and evaluation of parenting programs will constitute a game change in this field. PMID:24980187

Engaging Fathers to Increase Physical Activity in Girls: The "Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered" (DADEE) Randomized Controlled Trial.

PubMed

Morgan, Philip J; Young, Myles D; Barnes, Alyce T; Eather, Narelle; Pollock, Emma R; Lubans, David R

2018-04-10

Existing strategies to increase girls' physical activity levels have seen limited success. Fathers may influence their children's physical activity, but often spend more time with their sons and rarely participate in family-based programs. To test a novel program designed to increase the physical activity levels of fathers and their daughters. In a two-arm RCT, 115 fathers (29-53 years) and 153 daughters (4-12 years) were randomized to (i) the "Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered" (DADEE) program, or (ii) a wait-list control. The 8-week program included weekly educational and practical sessions plus home tasks. Assessments were at baseline, 2 months (postintervention), and 9 months. The primary outcomes were father-daughter physical activity levels (pedometry). Secondary outcomes included screen-time, daughters' fundamental movement skill proficiency (FMS: perceived and objective), and fathers' physical activity parenting practices. Primary outcome data were obtained from 88% of daughters and 90% of fathers at 9 months. Intention-to-treat analyses revealed favorable group-by-time effects for physical activity in daughters (p = .02, d = 0.4) and fathers (p < .001, d = 0.7) at postintervention, which were maintained at 9 months. At postintervention and follow-up, significant effects (p < .05) were also identified for daughters' FMS competence (objective: d = 1.1-1.2; perceived: d = 0.4-0.6), a range of fathers' physical activity parenting practices (d = 0.3-0.8), and screen-time for daughters (d = 0.5-0.8) and fathers (d = 0.4-0.6, postintervention only). Program satisfaction and attendance were very high. This study provided the first experimental evidence that efforts to increase physical activity behavior in preadolescent girls would benefit from a meaningful engagement of fathers. Clinical Trial information: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12615000022561.

How well does the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale identify depression and anxiety in fathers? A validation study in a population based Swedish sample.

PubMed

Massoudi, Pamela; Hwang, C Philip; Wickberg, Birgitta

2013-07-01

Fathers are increasingly involved in infant care, and depression in postnatal fathers as well as mothers may have negative effects on child development and behaviour. The EPDS has been validated to identify depression in new mothers, but few validation studies have involved fathers and there is doubt as to whether the EPDS measures the same constructs in men as in women. A population-based sample of 1014 couples were sent the EPDS and the HAD-A subscale 3 months postnatally. All high-scoring fathers and a random sample of fathers scoring low were invited for a diagnostic interview to assess the presence of any depression or anxiety disorder. A factor analysis of the EPDS data was conducted for mothers and fathers. A factor analysis of the EPDS data revealed a different factor structure for fathers, implying that the scale picks up more worry, anxiety and unhappiness than depression. The EPDS yields high sensitivity and specificity, but low positive predictive value when screening for probable major depression at the optimal cut-off score of 12 or more. The accuracy of the EPDS, however, is modest for minor depression, and low for anxiety disorders. Neither the EPDS-3A score nor the HAD-A subscale reached acceptable validity in this study. The EPDS seems to pick up more distress than pure depression in new fathers. It is a valid instrument for screening for probable major depression, but it is questionable if it should be used to screen for minor depression. Neither the EPDS nor the HAD-A subscale can be recommended for screening for anxiety in postnatal fathers. Confidence intervals around the estimates are wide and the interviewed fathers were selected preferentially. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Addressing a Critical Gap in U.S. National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs: The Acceptability and Feasibility of Father-Based Sexual and Reproductive Health Interventions for Latino Adolescent Males.

PubMed

Guilamo-Ramos, Vincent; Bowman, Alex S; Santa Maria, Diane; Kabemba, Francesca; Geronimo, Yoyce

2018-03-01

The purpose of the research was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a father-based sexual and reproductive health intervention designed to reduce sexual and reproductive (SRH) disparities and increase correct and consistent condom use among Latino adolescent males. The current study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with Latino father-son dyads (N=30) designed to elicit perspectives on communication regarding sex and condom use. In addition, the interview protocol included father-son preferences regarding paternal involvement in condom instruction and perceived obstacles and advantages of father direct involvement in education efforts designed to increase correct and consistent condom use among their adolescent sons. Three independent coders conducted both vertical and horizontal analyses of the data to identify emergent themes and reach theoretical saturation. The main findings from this study suggest that Latino fathers can be impactful in shaping Latino adolescent male sexual decision-making and correct and consistent condom use. However, our data highlight that while both feasible and acceptable, Latino fathers identify needing additional support in how best to communicate and seek opportunities to master their own knowledge and skills regarding condom use and effective communication with their adolescent sons about sex. Latino father-based interventions represent an acceptable and feasible option for building upon the recent success of U.S. national efforts to reduce teen pregnancy rates and STI disparities among Latino youth. However, there exists a need for father-based programs that will support Latino fathers in best educating their sons about condom use and better addressing their SRH. Ongoing national efforts to reduce Latino teen SRH disparities warrant the consideration of father-son interventions for Latino adolescent males in the United States. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Tour - Father Patrick O

NASA Image and Video Library

1964-09-14

S64-31226 (1964) --- Maxime A. Faget, Assistant Director for Engineering and Development, at Manned Spacecraft Center, explains the function of the Lunar Module to Father Patrick J. OBrien, sister-in-law to Father O

An adequacy evaluation of a maternal health intervention in rural Honduras: the impact of engagement of men and empowerment of women.

PubMed

Berti, Peter R; Sohani, Salim; Costa, Edith da; Klaas, Naomi; Amendola, Luis; Duron, Joel

2015-02-01

To determine the impact that a 6-year maternal and child health project in rural Honduras had on maternal health services and outcomes, and to test the effect of level of father involvement on maternal health. This was a program evaluation conducted through representative household surveys administered at baseline in 2007 and endline in 2011 using 30 cluster samples randomly-selected from the 229 participating communities. Within each cluster, 10 households having at least one mother-child pair were randomly selected to complete a questionnaire, for a total of about 300 respondents answering close to 100 questions each. Changes in key outcome variables from baseline to endline were tested using logistic regression, controlling for mother's education and father's involvement. There were improvements in most maternal health indicators, including an increase in women attending prenatal checkups (84% to 92%, P = 0.05) and institutional births (44% to 63%, P = 0.002). However, the involvement of the fathers decreased as reflected by the percentage of fathers accompanying mothers to prenatal checkups (48% to 41%, P = 0.01); the fathers' reported interest in prenatal care (74% to 52%, P = 0.0001); and fathers attending the birth (66% to 54%, P = 0.05). There was an interaction between the fathers' scores and the maternal outcomes, with a larger increase in institutional births among mothers with the least-involved fathers. Rather than the father's involvement being key, changes in the mothers may have led to increased institutional births. The project may have empowered women through early identification of pregnancy and stronger social connections encouraged by home visits and pregnancy clubs. This would have enabled even the women with unsupportive fathers to make healthier choices and achieve higher rates of institutional births.

Interventions with fathers of young children: systematic literature review.

PubMed

Magill-Evans, Joyce; Harrison, Margaret J; Rempel, Gwen; Slater, Linda

2006-07-01

This paper reports a systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions for fathers with infants or toddlers. Nurses and other healthcare professionals work closely with families of infants and young children. This contact provides an opportunity to promote positive parent-child interactions and optimal child development. Previous research has demonstrated that interventions with mothers of infants can be effective in promoting sensitive, responsive parent-child interactions and positive child development. Recent research has indicated that fathers also contribute to child development, but little is known about what types of interventions with fathers are effective in promoting sensitive, responsive father-child interactions. Literature from 1983 to 2003 in the Medline, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases was searched to locate intervention studies published in English that included a control group or used a pretest and post-test design; measured an aspect of father-child interaction; analysed father outcomes separately from mother outcomes; had a sample greater than one; and included infants or toddlers. Additional studies were located by cross-checking reference lists. Fourteen papers describing 12 interventions met the inclusion criteria. The interventions included infant massage, observation and modelling of behaviour with infant, kangaroo care, participation with child in a preschool programme, discussion groups, and parent training programmes. Although the number of intervention studies is limited, there is evidence that, if interventions involve active participation with or observation of the father's own child, the intervention may be effective in enhancing the father's interactions with the child and a positive perception of the child. There is less information on how interventions influence child development. More research is needed to determine the influence of interventions over time, the differential influence on mothers and fathers, and the optimal dose of intervention required.

Paternal Metabolic and Cardiovascular Risk Factors for Fetal Growth Restriction

PubMed Central

Hillman, Sara; Peebles, Donald M.; Williams, David J.

2013-01-01

OBJECTIVE Fathers of low–birth weight offspring are more likely to have type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in later life. We investigated whether paternal insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk factors were evident at the time that fetal growth–restricted offspring were born. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We carried out a case-control study of men who fathered pregnancies affected by fetal growth restriction, in the absence of recognized fetal disease (n = 42), compared with men who fathered normal–birth weight offspring (n = 77). All mothers were healthy, nonsmoking, and similar in age, BMI, ethnicity, and parity. Within 4 weeks of offspring birth, all fathers had measures of insulin resistance (HOMA index), blood pressure, waist circumference, endothelial function (flow-mediated dilatation), lipid profile, weight, and smoking habit. Comparison was made using multivariable logistical regression analysis. RESULTS Fathers of fetal growth–restricted offspring [mean (SD) 1.8th (2.2) customized birth centile] were more likely to have insulin resistance, hypertension, central adiposity, and endothelial dysfunction and to smoke cigarettes compared with fathers of normal grown offspring. After multivariable analysis, paternal insulin resistance and smoking remained different between the groups. Compared with fathers of normal grown offspring, men who fathered pregnancies affected by fetal growth restriction had an OR 7.68 (95% CI 2.63–22.40; P < 0.0001) of having a 1-unit higher log HOMA-IR value and 3.39 (1.26–9.16; P = 0.016) of being a smoker. CONCLUSIONS Men who recently fathered growth-restricted offspring have preclinical evidence of the insulin resistance syndrome and are more likely to smoke than fathers of normal grown offspring. Paternal lifestyle may influence heritable factors important for fetal growth. PMID:23315598

Breast cancer in young families: a qualitative interview study of fathers and their role and communication with their children following the diagnosis of maternal breast cancer.

PubMed

Forrest, Gillian; Plumb, Caroline; Ziebland, Sue; Stein, Alan

2009-01-01

To explore father-child communication following the diagnosis of maternal breast cancer, examine disparities in their understandings of the impact of the illness, and identify gaps in their need for support and information. The design is the qualitative interview study with thematic analysis. The interviews were home-based with fathers and children in Oxfordshire, UK. The participants were 26 fathers whose partners had early breast cancer and 31 of their children aged between 6 and 18 years. Fathers described graphically their reaction to news of their partner's breast cancer and their attempts to provide support for their partners and maintain normal family life for their children. Fathers were keen to reassure and protect children but often said that they lacked sufficient information about breast cancer-especially side effects of treatments. Fathers sometimes did not recognise the extent of their children's distress and some interpreted their children's reactions as 'bad behaviour' or 'rudeness'. Children were often acutely aware of the father's emotional state, and expressed a wish to protect him. Some fathers would have liked an opportunity to talk to a clinician directly about the children but did not want to claim clinical time for themselves or their children. This study suggests that clinicians could improve their care of breast cancer patients by being more family-centred. Fathers routinely need more information and preparation about the likely impact of the illness and its treatment (especially side effects) on the mother, and how children of different ages may react to the emotional strain. Clinicians need to be prepared to offer to talk to teenagers. (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Father Absence, Social Networks, and Maternal Ratings of Child Health: Evidence from the 2013 Social Networks and Health Information Survey in Mexico.

PubMed

Edelblute, Heather B; Altman, Claire E

2018-04-01

Objectives To bridge the literature on the effect of father absence, international migration, and social networks on child health, we assess the association between father absence and maternal ratings of child poor health (MCPH). Next we test whether social networks of immediate and extended kin mediate the relationship between fathers' absence and MCPH. Methods Nested logistic regression models predicting MCPH are estimated using the 2013 Social Networks and Health Information Survey, collected in a migrant-sending community in Guanajuato, Mexico. These unique data distinguish among father absence due to migration versus other reasons and between immediate and extended kin ties. Results Descriptive results indicate that 25% of children with migrant fathers are assessed as having poor health, more often than children with present (15.5%) or otherwise absent fathers (17.5%). In the multivariate models, fathers' absence is not predictive of MCPH. However, the presence of extended kin ties for the mother was associated with approximately a 50% reduction in the odds of MCPH. Additionally, mother's poor self-assessed health was associated with increased odds of MCPH while the presence of a co-resident adult lowered the odds of MCPH. In sensitivity analysis among children with migrant fathers, the receipt of paternal remittances lowered the odds of MCPH. Conclusions for Practice Social networks have a direct and positive association with MCPH rather than mediating the father absence-MCPH relationship. The presence of extended kin ties in the local community is salient for more favorable child health and should be considered in public health interventions aimed at improving child health.

A qualitative study conducted in the USA exploring Latino fathers' beliefs, attitudes and practices related to their young children's eating, physical activity and sedentary behaviours.

PubMed

Lindsay, Ana Cristina; Wallington, Sherrie F; Muñoz, Mario A; Greaney, Mary L

2018-02-01

Increasing evidence documents fathers' influential role in their children's eating, physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviours (SB). We aimed to expand limited existing research examining fathers' influence in these areas by exploring Latino fathers' beliefs, attitudes and practices related to eating, PA and SB of their young children. Seven focus group discussions were conducted in Spanish with Latino fathers (n 28) of children aged 2-8 years. Audio recordings were transcribed and translated verbatim without identifiers. Data were analysed using thematic analysis to identify key concepts and themes using NVivo 11 software. Fathers expressed positive beliefs and attitudes about the importance of healthy eating for their young children, themselves and their families. Nevertheless, the majority reported familial practices including eating out, getting take-out, etc. that have been linked to increased obesity risk among Latino children. Fathers were more involved and engaged in children's PA than eating and feeding. However, several fathers reported engaging predominantly in sedentary activities with their children, appeared permissive of children's sedentary habits and struggled to set limits on children's screen-time. We provide new information on Latino fathers' beliefs and child feeding and PA practices that may provide important targets for interventions aimed at promoting healthful eating and PA behaviours of Latino children. Future research should further quantify the influence of Latino fathers' parenting styles and practices on development of children's eating, PA and SB. This information is needed to identify risk factors amenable to interventions and to design culturally appropriate parenting and family-based interventions targeting Latino children's home environment and designed to meet this ethnic group's specific needs.

Father-infant interaction, paternal ideas about early child care, and their consequences for the development of children's self-recognition.

PubMed

Borke, Jörn; Lamm, Bettina; Eickhorst, Andreas; Keller, Heidi

2007-12-01

In this longitudinal study, the authors addressed intracultural variation on fathers' interactions with their 3-month-old infants, their ideas about parental care, and the timing of their children's self-recognition at the age of 18-20 months. Participants were 24 middle-class German fathers and their firstborn children. Two behavioral clusters emerged: a more proximal parenting style with extensive body contact and a more distal parenting style with extensive object stimulation. Fathers in the distal cluster had significantly more education than did fathers in the proximal cluster. Children who had experienced more distal parenting were more likely to recognize themselves in a mirror than were children with more proximal parenting. The authors discuss the results with respect to fathers' influence on child development and patterns of intracultural variation.

Patterns and Predictors of Growth in Divorced Fathers' Health Status and Substance Use

PubMed Central

DeGarmo, David S.; Reid, John B.; Leve, Leslie D.; Chamberlain, Patricia; Knutson, John F.

2009-01-01

Health status and substance use trajectories are described over 18 months for a county sample of 230 divorced fathers of young children aged 4 to 11. One third of the sample was clinically depressed. Health problems, drinking, and hard drug use were stable over time for the sample, whereas depression, smoking, and marijuana use exhibited overall mean reductions. Variance components revealed significant individual differences in average levels and trajectories for health and substance use outcomes. Controlling for fathers' antisociality, negative life events, and social support, fathering identity predicted reductions in health-related problems and marijuana use. Father involvement reduced drinking and marijuana use. Antisociality was the strongest risk factor for health and substance use outcomes. Implications for application of a generative fathering perspective in practice and preventive interventions are discussed. PMID:19477763

Fathers in situational crisis: a comparison of Asian and Western cultures.

PubMed

Tseng, Yun-Shan; Verklan, M Terese

2008-09-01

The purpose of this synthesis was to compare the difference between Asian and Western fathers' perceptions of their roles when confronted with situational crises involving their children. Twenty-two studies were reviewed and assigned to one of two categories: the father experiencing a situational crisis related to his child's illness or cultural influences on the paternal role. The results indicated that Asian and Western fathers' perceptions of crises do not differ greatly. It was concluded that there exists a gap in the literature with respect to the knowledge of Asian fathers' situational crisis surrounding their child's illness, their coping strategies when faced with their child's illness, as well as their emotional reactions toward family health. Future research should investigate the single or same-gender father's perceptions and emotional reactions in both Asian and Western cultures.

Unwed fathers' ability to pay child support: new estimates accounting for multiple-partner fertility.

PubMed

Sinkewicz, Marilyn; Garfinkel, Irwin

2009-05-01

We present new estimates of unwed fathers' ability to pay child support. Prior research relied on surveys that drastically undercounted nonresident unwed fathers and provided no link to their children who lived in separate households. To overcome these limitations, previous research assumed assortative mating and that each mother partnered with one father who was actually eligible to pay support and had no other child support obligations. Because the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study contains data on couples, multiple-partner fertility, and a rich array of other previously unmeasured characteristics of fathers, it is uniquely suited to address the limitations of previous research. We also use an improved method of dealing with missing data. Our findings suggest that previous research overestimated the aggregate ability of unwed nonresident fathers to pay child support by 33% to 60%.

African American fathers and incarceration: paternal involvement and child outcomes.

PubMed

Perry, Armon R; Bright, Mikia

2012-01-01

Despite only accounting for 6% of the general population, African American males represent nearly 50% of the prison population. To investigate the impact of mass incarceration on African American families, data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being study were analyzed. Specifically, the purpose of this study was to examine the impact of previous incarceration on African American fathers' instrumental and affective involvement with their children, and the extent to which their previous incarceration influences their children's behavior. Results revealed that 51% of the fathers in the sample had been incarcerated by their child's fifth birthday. The results also revealed that these fathers fared worse economically and were less involved with their children. Moreover, the children of previously incarcerated fathers had significantly worse behavioral problems than the children of fathers who had never been incarcerated.

New Fathers' Perinatal Depression and Anxiety-Treatment Options: An Integrative Review.

PubMed

O'Brien, Anthony P; McNeil, Karen A; Fletcher, Richard; Conrad, Agatha; Wilson, Amanda J; Jones, Donovan; Chan, Sally W

2017-07-01

More than 10% of fathers experience depression and anxiety during the perinatal period, but paternal perinatal depression (PPND) and anxiety have received less attention than maternal perinatal mental health problems. Few mainstream treatment options are available for men with PPND and anxiety. The aim of this literature review was to summarize the current understanding of PPND and the treatment programs specifically designed for fathers with perinatal depression. Eight electronic databases were searched using a predefined strategy, and reference lists were also hand searched. PPND and anxiety were identified to have a negative impact on family relationships, as well as the health of mothers and children. Evidence suggests a lack of support and tailored treatment options for men having trouble adjusting to the transition to fatherhood. Of the limited options available, cognitive behavioral therapy, group work, and blended delivery programs, including e-support approaches appear to be most effective in helping fathers with perinatal depression and anxiety. The review findings have important implications for the understanding of PPND and anxiety. Future research is needed to address the adoption of father-inclusive and father-specific models of care to encourage fathers' help-seeking behavior. Inclusion of male-specific requirements into support and treatment options can improve the ability of services to engage new fathers. Psychotherapeutic intervention could assist to address the cognitive differences and dissonance for men adjusting to the role of father, including male identity and role expectations.

The perils of overprotective parenting: fathers' perspectives explored.

PubMed

Brussoni, M; Olsen, L L

2013-03-01

The dominant discourse of popular media appears to paint a disparaging picture of parents deemed overly concerned about their children's safety. Child injury prevention interventions frequently focus on influencing parenting behaviours. Fathers are increasingly involved in childcare, highlighting the need to understand their perspectives on overprotective parenting as it relates to considerations of injury prevention while actively engaged with their children. Qualitative interviews were carried out with 32 fathers of children aged 2-7 years in a Canadian urban setting. Interview questions investigated fathers' injury prevention attitudes and practices, and their beliefs regarding overprotection. Data analysis was guided by grounded theory methods. Fathers noted the subjective nature of overprotection, citing family, social and situational factors that shaped their views. Fathers viewed overprotective parents as experiencing excessive fears that were manifested in lack of willingness to risk physical or psychological injury. They described overprotective parenting as including over-involvement in and excessive restriction of children's activities; and expressed concerns that the results of these behaviours would be children lacking self-confidence and crucial life skills. Fathers viewed as problematic overprotective parenting behaviours that limit access to opportunities for physical risk taking in an attempt to prevent mostly minor injuries. The injury prevention field may benefit from considering fathers' perspectives when designing programmes to minimize the likelihood that safety initiatives may be perceived as promoting overprotection of children. Framing safety messages in ways that align with fathers' views could involve promoting appropriate protection and encouraging an active lifestyle. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

First-time fathers' postnatal experiences and support needs: A descriptive qualitative study.

PubMed

Shorey, Shefaly; Dennis, Cindy-Lee; Bridge, Shiho; Chong, Yap Seng; Holroyd, Eleanor; He, Hong-Gu

2017-12-01

To explore first-time fathers' postnatal experiences and support needs in the early postpartum period. The postnatal period is a stressful transition period for new fathers. It is imperative to understand their needs and experiences to provide appropriate support for them. The majority of previous studies were based in Western countries and explored fathers' needs during pregnancy and childbirth, with few studies conducted in the postnatal period. In Singapore, a multiracial society with differing paternal cultural values from its Western counterparts, there is considerable need to examine the experiences and needs of first-time fathers. A descriptive qualitative design was used. Data were collected from November 2015-January 2016. Fifteen first-time fathers were recruited from two postnatal wards of a public hospital, using a purposive sampling method. A semi-structured interview guide was used to conduct face-to-face interviews. A thematic analysis was conducted and ethics approval was sought for this study. Four overarching themes and seventeen subthemes were generated. The four overarching themes were: (1) No sense of reality to sense of responsibility; (2) Unprepared and challenged; (3) Support: needs, sources, experience and attitude; and (4) Future help for fathers. Fathers undergo a transition phase where they have unmet support needs during the early postnatal period. Understanding and addressing these needs may facilitate smooth transition to fatherhood. This study's findings can be used to involve fathers and design future supportive educational programs to promote positive parenting experiences and family dynamics. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A multifaceted risk analysis of fathers' self-reported physical violence toward their children.

PubMed

Ellonen, Noora; Peltonen, Kirsi; Pösö, Tarja; Janson, Staffan

2017-07-01

Existing research has shown that child maltreatment is carried out by both mothers and fathers. There is also an extensive body of literature analyzing reasons for mothers' violent behavior. Among fathers, reasons are less well studied, resulting in the lack of a comprehensive picture of paternal child abuse. In this study, 20 child-, parent-, and family-related factors have been included in a combined analysis to assess which of these may pose a risk for fathers' severe violent behavior toward their children. The study is based on merged data from Finland and Sweden, in which an anonymous survey was answered by parents, based on representative samples of parents with 0-12-year-old children. The merged data set included 679 fathers and analyses were carried out using logistic regression models. Six percent of the fathers had committed severe violent acts, that is, slapped, hit, punched, kicked, bit, hit/tried to hit their child with an object or shook (under 2-year-old) their child at least once during the 12 months preceding the survey. Corporal punishment experienced by the fathers when they were children, or used by the father as a method of discipline, strongly increased the likelihood of severe violent acts. The findings emphasize the importance of preventing all forms of corporal punishment in seeking to minimize the occurrence of severe physical violence by fathers toward their children. Aggr. Behav. 43:317-328, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relationships between types of father breastfeeding support and breastfeeding outcomes.

PubMed

Rempel, Lynn A; Rempel, John K; Moore, Katrina C J

2017-07-01

Fathers' support can influence mothers' breastfeeding decisions and behavior. Potentially supportive behaviors have been reported in previous studies, but no studies have directly examined which, if any, of those actions are actually more likely to result in desired breastfeeding outcomes. The two studies reported in this paper address this gap by examining relationships between fathers' reported breastfeeding support and mothers' perceptions of received support and breastfeeding intentions, satisfaction, and duration. The Partner Breastfeeding Influence Scale (PBIS) was used in an online survey with 64 women and 41 men (34 couples) and a telephone survey with 80 mothers and 65 fathers (63 couples). Fathers' and mothers' reports of how often fathers engage in the types of support measured by the PBIS were used to predict breastfeeding intentions, satisfaction, and duration. In Study 1, responsiveness predicted breastfeeding success and satisfaction for men and satisfaction for women. However, mothers' intended breastfeeding duration was shorter when fathers both wanted them to breastfeed for a long time and were more appreciative and savvy about breastfeeding. In Study 2, when fathers reported being more appreciative and directly involved in breastfeeding, mothers reported shorter breastfeeding duration. In both studies, mothers' perceptions of their partners' responsiveness and fathers' reports of their own responsiveness predicted longer breastfeeding intentions and duration. These findings suggest that the most effective breastfeeding support is delivered using a sensitive, coordinated teamwork approach that is responsive to the mother's needs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Intrusive fathering, children's self-regulation and social skills: a mediation analysis.

PubMed

Stevenson, M; Crnic, K

2013-06-01

Fathers have unique influences on children's development, and particularly in the development of social skills. Although father-child relationship influences on children's social competence have received increased attention in general, research on fathering in families of children with developmental delays (DD) is scant. This study examined the pathway of influence among paternal intrusive behaviour, child social skills and child self-regulatory ability, testing a model whereby child regulatory behaviour mediates relations between fathering and child social skills. Participants were 97 families of children with early identified DD enrolled in an extensive longitudinal study. Father and mother child-directed intrusiveness was coded live in naturalistic home observations at child age 4.5, child behaviour dysregulation was coded from a video-taped laboratory problem-solving task at child age 5, and child social skills were measured using independent teacher reports at child age 6. Analyses tested for mediation of the relationship between fathers' intrusiveness and child social skills by child behaviour dysregulation. Fathers' intrusiveness, controlling for mothers' intrusiveness and child behaviour problems, was related to later child decreased social skills and this relationship was mediated by child behaviour dysregulation. Intrusive fathering appears to carry unique risk for the development of social skills in children with DD. Findings are discussed as they related to theories of fatherhood and parenting in children with DD, as well as implications for intervention and future research. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd, MENCAP & IASSID.

Fathers' and Mothers' Verbal Responsiveness and the Language Skills of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

PubMed Central

Watson, Linda R.

2015-01-01

Purpose In this observational study, we examined the interactions of 16 young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents to investigate (a) differences in verbal responsiveness used by fathers and mothers in interactions with their children with ASD and (b) concurrent associations between the language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of both fathers and mothers. Method Parent verbal responsiveness was coded from video recordings of naturalistic parent–child play sessions using interval-based coding. Child language skills were measured by the Preschool Language Scale–Fourth Edition (Zimmerman, Steiner, & Pond, 2002). Results For both fathers and mothers, parent verbal responsiveness was positively associated with child language skills. Mothers' responsiveness was also significantly associated with child cognition. After controlling for child cognition, fathers' verbal responsiveness continued to be significantly related to child language skills. Conclusions Although other studies have documented associations between mothers' responsiveness and child language, this is the 1st study to document a significant concurrent association between child language skills of children with ASD and the verbal responsiveness of fathers. Findings of this study warrant the inclusion of fathers in future research on language development and intervention to better understand the potential contributions fathers may make to language growth for children with ASD over time as well as to determine whether coaching fathers to use responsive verbal strategies can improve language outcomes for children with ASD. PMID:25836377

The effects of father involvement during pregnancy on receipt of prenatal care and maternal smoking.

PubMed

Martin, Laurie T; McNamara, Michelle J; Milot, Alyssa S; Halle, Tamara; Hair, Elizabeth C

2007-11-01

To examine whether women whose partners are involved in their pregnancy are more likely to receive early prenatal care and reduce cigarette consumption over the course of the pregnancy. This study also examines sociodemographic predictors of father involvement during pregnancy. Data on 5,404 women and their partners from the first wave of the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (ECLS-B) were used to examine the association between father involvement during pregnancy and maternal behaviors during pregnancy. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were used and data were weighted to account for the complex survey design of the ECLS-B. Women whose partners were involved in their pregnancy were 1.5 times more likely to receive prenatal care in the first trimester and, among those who smoked at conception, to reduce their cigarette consumption 36% more than women whose partners were not involved in the pregnancy (p = .09). Fathers with less than a high school education were significantly less likely to be involved in their partner's pregnancy, while first-time fathers and fathers who reported wanting the pregnancy were significantly more likely to be involved. The positive benefits of father involvement often reported in the literature on child health and development can be extended into the prenatal period. Father involvement is an important, but understudied, predictor of maternal behaviors during the prenatal period, and improving father involvement may have important consequences for the health of his partner, her pregnancy, and their child.

Fathers' experience of starting family life with an infant born prematurely due to mothers' severe illness.

PubMed

Værland, Inger Emilie; Vevatne, Kari; Brinchmann, Berit Støre

2017-10-01

To describe fathers' experiences of starting family life with an infant delivered prematurely out of necessity of saving the mother's and infant's lives due to the mother's severe preeclampsia. A descriptive, qualitative design was used. Six fathers were interviewed twice: from 6 to 24 days and from 4 to 22 weeks after delivery. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using a reflective lifeworld research approach. The essence of the fathers' experiences of establishing a family with a seriously ill mother and a premature infant can be described as a process of becoming a family through reflection on life and death in a context of separation. The essence specifically comprised the following constituents: (1) starting fatherhood facing existential issues, (2) connecting the family, (3) becoming familiar with your infant, and (4) becoming a father in a public area. The fathers were able to develop their relationship to their infants; this emphasizes the importance of the fathers being able to spend their time in the NICU. The privacy of the fathers were more or less challenged, health professionals should be aware of individualize their approach to the fathers. The study reveals that family life started with separation. Health professionals should try to ensure that the family should be together. Mutual guidelines between the wards that treats mother and child should be implemented. When new mother and child-centers are planned a family friendly environment should be prioritized. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Longitudinal Study of Fathers' and Young Children's Depressive Symptoms.

PubMed

Tichovolsky, Marianne H; Griffith, Shayl F; Rolon-Arroyo, Benjamin; Arnold, David H; Harvey, Elizabeth A

2016-09-21

Considerable research has examined the effects of maternal depression on children, but few studies have focused on the relation between paternal and child depressive symptoms, particularly during early childhood. Even fewer studies have been longitudinal, leaving open questions about how paternal and child depression covary over time. The present study sought to address this gap by examining the relation between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms over a 3-year period. Participants were 153 preschool children with behavior problems and their parents. Three longitudinal analytic approaches were used to examine how father and child depression change together and predict one another over time. Additional analyses examined whether externalizing problems or maternal depression might account for the associations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Changes in paternal depression significantly predicted changes in father-reported and mother-reported child depressive symptoms. These effects were evident both in year-to-year fluctuations and in linear trajectories across the 3-year period. Cross-lagged analyses suggested that these relations may have been driven by father-effects; paternal depression at one time point predicted child depression at the next time point, but child depression did not significantly predict later paternal depression. We found little evidence that externalizing problems or maternal depression accounted for the relations between fathers' and children's depressive symptoms. Results provide convergent evidence that fathers' depression may play an important role in the development of depressive symptoms in young children and underscore the importance of including fathers in studies of depression in families.

Like Father, like Child: Early Life Family Adversity and Children's Bullying Behaviors in Elementary School.

PubMed

de Vries, Else E; Verlinden, Marina; Rijlaarsdam, Jolien; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Verhulst, Frank C; Arseneault, Louise; Tiemeier, Henning

2017-12-19

Family adversity has been associated with children's bullying behaviors. The evidence is, however, dominated by mothers' perceptions of the family environment and a focus on mothers' behaviors. This prospective population-based study examined whether children's bullying behaviors were associated with mother- and father-reported family adversity, assessed before and after child birth. Peer-nominations were used to assess bullying behaviors of 1298 children in elementary school (mean age 7.5 years). The following paternal risk factors were prospectively associated with children's bullying behaviors: (1) father-reported prenatal family distress, (2) fathers' hostility at preschool age, and (3) fathers' harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age, but effect sizes were relatively small. The effect of maternal risk factors was less consistent, only mother-reported family distress in childhood was associated with children's bullying behaviors. The associations were independent of background family risk factors (i.e., life stress, contextual factors, and other background factors such as parental education and risk taking record) and early childhood externalizing problems. Moreover, our results indicated that father-reported family adversity predicted children's bullying behaviors over and above the background family risk factors, early childhood externalizing problems and mother-reported family adversity. We also demonstrated that the association of fathers' prenatal hostility and family distress with subsequent bullying behavior of their child at school was partly mediated by fathers' harsh disciplinary practices at preschool age. Our findings highlight the importance of fathers' behaviors in the development of children's bullying behaviors.

Parenting style of Chinese fathers in Hong Kong: correlates with children's school-related performance.

PubMed

Tam, Vicky C W; Lam, Rebecca S Y

2003-01-01

This study investigates parenting styles among Chinese fathers in Hong Kong as perceived by their school-age children. Four parenting styles, namely inductive, indulgent, indifferent, and dictatorial parenting, are assessed using the Parent Behavior Report (1988). Data were collected through a questionnaire survey on a sample of 1011 Primary Three to Five Chinese students from six schools in Hong Kong and 471 fathers. Findings show that among Chinese fathers, the least common parenting style is inductive, while the other three styles are of similar occurrence. Chi-square analysis shows no significant association between children's grade level and father's parenting style. However, there is a significant association with gender, with fathers more likely to be perceived as dictatorial with boys and indulgent with girls. The effect of paternal styles on children's school-related performance is also examined. MANOVA results show that significant differences are found among children of the four paternal style groups with respect to academic performance, interest in school work, aspiration for education, involvement in extracurricular activities, and efficacy for self-regulated learning. Post-hoc tests reveal that children's performance is similar between the groups with indulgent and inductive fathers, and between children of indifferent and dictatorial fathers, with the former groups performing better than the latter in general. Findings are discussed with regard to research on parenting style and paternal behavior, as well as understanding the roles of fathers in Chinese families in the socio-cultural context in Hong Kong.

Identity Management: Social Control of Identity by Children of Gay Fathers When They Know Their Father Is a Homosexual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozett, Frederick W.

A study was conducted to examine how children cope with having a homosexual father so that helping professionals, and particularly nurses, might have a knowledge base upon which to base interventions. Data were obtained from indepth interviews with 19 individuals ranging in age from 14 to 35 who had a homosexual father. Two of the six male…

Recognising Fathers: A National Survey of Fathers Who Have Children with Learning Disabilities. A Briefing Note for Policy makers, Commissioners and Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towers, Christine

2009-01-01

In the past few decades there has been an increasing interest in the role of fathers within families and a growing understanding of the substantial benefits to children, as well as mothers, of their involvement. This briefing focuses on the experiences of fathers who have children with learning disabilities and the approaches that could make it…

Trajectories of fathers' psychological distress across the early parenting period: Implications for parenting.

PubMed

Giallo, Rebecca; Cooklin, Amanda; Brown, Stephanie; Christensen, Daniel; Kingston, Dawn; Liu, Cindy H; Wade, Catherine; Nicholson, Jan M

2015-10-01

Fathers' parenting behavior is a likely key mechanism underlying the consistent associations between paternal mental health difficulties and poor emotional-behavioral outcomes for children. This study investigates the association between fathers' mental health trajectories and key parenting behaviors (warmth, hostility, consistency) spanning the first 8-9 years postpartum. Secondary analyses of 5 waves of data from 2,662 fathers participating in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were conducted. Latent growth class analysis was used to identify distinct trajectories of fathers' distress (Kessler-6; Kessler et al., 2003), and latent growth models estimated parenting warmth, hostility, and consistency. Multiple group analyses were conducted to describe and compare the course of parenting behaviors for fathers assigned to the distress trajectories identified. Two distinct classes of fathers were identified based on the trajectories of distress: minimal distress (92%) and persistent and increasing distress (8%). The latter group reported significantly lower parenting warmth when their children were 8-9 years and lower consistency and higher hostility across all study intervals. The postnatal and early parenting period is a critical time for the development of parenting behaviors that are important for children's development. Engagement and support for fathers around well-being and parenting is vital for promoting optimal family and child developmental outcomes. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Crossover Effects Among Parental Hostility and Parent-Child Relationships During the Preschool Period.

PubMed

Newland, Rebecca P; Ciciolla, Lucia; Crnic, Keith A

2015-07-01

Parental hostility may have widespread effects across members of the family, whereby one parent's hostility might disrupt the other parent's ability to maintain a positive relationship with his or her children. The present study prospectively examined crossover effects of parental hostility on parent-child relationship quality in a sample of 210 families. At child ages 3, 4, and 5, mothers and fathers completed questionnaires assessing feelings of hostility. In addition, mother-child and father-child dyadic relationship quality were coded at each age during naturalistic home observations. Results from structural equation analyses indicated that mother and father hostility were relatively stable over the two year period. Further, results were consistent with notions of fathering vulnerability, such that the father-child relationship might be especially susceptible to parental hostility. Possible compensatory processes, wherein mothers may compensate for father hostility, were also explored. Child and parent gender add further complexity to the results, as the father-son relationship appears most susceptible to crossover effects of parental hostility, whereas the father-daughter relationship might be somewhat protected in the early childhood period. Findings from the current investigation highlight the need for broader perspectives on family functioning, considering influences across family subsystems and the effects of both parent and child gender.

Fathers' birth experience in relation to midwifery care.

PubMed

Hildingsson, Ingegerd; Cederlöf, Linnea; Widén, Sara

2011-09-01

The aim was to identify the proportion of fathers having a positive experience of a normal birth and to explore factors related to midwifery care that were associated with a positive experience. Research has mainly focused on the father's supportive role during childbirth rather than his personal experiences of birth. 595 new fathers living in a northern part of Sweden, whose partner had a normal birth, were included in the study. Data was collected by questionnaires. Odds Ratios with 95% confidence interval and logistic regression analysis were used. The majority of fathers (82%) reported a positive birth experience. The strongest factors associated with a positive birth experience were midwife support (OR 4.0; 95 CI 2.0-8.1), the midwife's ongoing presence in the delivery room (OR 2.0; 1.1-3.9), and information about the progress of labour (OR 3.1; 1.6-5.8). Most fathers had a positive birth experience. Midwifery support, the midwife's presence and sufficient information about the progress of labour are important aspects in a father's positive birth experience. The role of the midwife during birth is important to the father, and his individual needs should be considered in order to enhance a positive birth experience. Copyright © 2010 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mothers' and fathers' autonomy-relevant parenting: longitudinal links with adolescents' externalizing and internalizing behavior.

PubMed

Lansford, Jennifer E; Laird, Robert D; Pettit, Gregory S; Bates, John E; Dodge, Kenneth A

2014-11-01

The goal of this study was to advance the understanding of separate and joint effects of mothers' and fathers' autonomy-relevant parenting during early and middle adolescence. In a sample of 518 families, adolescents (49 % female; 83 % European American, 16 % African American, 1 % other ethnic groups) reported on their mothers' and fathers' psychological control and knowledge about adolescents' whereabouts, friends, and activities at ages 13 and 16. Mothers and adolescents reported on adolescents' externalizing and internalizing behaviors at ages 12, 14, 15, and 17. Adolescents perceived their mothers as using more psychological control and having more knowledge than their fathers, but there was moderate concordance between adolescents' perceptions of their mothers and fathers. More parental psychological control predicted increases in boys' and girls' internalizing problems and girls' externalizing problems. More parental knowledge predicted decreases in boys' externalizing and internalizing problems. The perceived levels of behavior of mothers and fathers did not interact with one another in predicting adolescent adjustment. The results generalize across early and late adolescence and across mothers' and adolescents' reports of behavior problems. Autonomy-relevant mothering and fathering predict changes in behavior problems during early and late adolescence, but only autonomy-relevant fathering accounts for unique variance in adolescent behavior problems.

Family Structure Instability, Genetic Sensitivity and Child Wellbeing

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Colter; McLanahan, Sara; Hobcraft, John; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne; Garfinkel, Irwin; Notterman, Daniel

2016-01-01

The association between family structure instability and children’s life chances is well documented, with children reared in stable, two-parent families experiencing more favorable outcomes than children reared in other family arrangements. This study extends prior research by distinguishing between father-entrances into and father-exits from the household, by distinguishing between the entrance of a biological father and a social-father, and by testing for interactions between family structure instability and children’s age, gender and genetic characteristics. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (n=2493) and focusing on changes in family structure between birth and age 9, we find that father-exits are associated with increases in children’s anti-social behavior, which is a strong predictor of health and wellbeing in adulthood. The pattern for father-entrances is more complicated, with biological father entrances being associated with lower anti-social behavior among boys, and social-father entrances being associated with higher anti-social behavior among boys with certain genetic variants. Child’s age at the time of family change does not moderate the association with children’s behavior. However, incorporating genetic information into our models sharpens the findings substantially, showing how such data can enrich our understanding of the intergenerational mobility process. PMID:26046228

Divorced fathers' proximity and children's long-run outcomes: evidence from Norwegian registry data.

PubMed

Kalil, Ariel; Mogstad, Magne; Rege, Mari; Votruba, Mark

2011-08-01

This study examines the link between divorced nonresident fathers' proximity and children's long-run outcomes, using high-quality data from Norwegian population registers. We follow (from birth to young adulthood) each of 15,992 children born into married households in Norway in the years 1975-1979 whose parents divorced during his or her childhood. We observe the proximity of the child to his or her father in each year following the divorce and link proximity to educational and economic outcomes for the child in young adulthood, controlling for a wide range of observable characteristics of the parents and the child. Our results show that closer proximity to the father following a divorce has, on average, a modest negative association with offspring's outcomes in young adulthood. The negative associations are stronger among children of highly educated fathers. Complementary Norwegian survey data show that highly educated fathers report more post-divorce conflict with their ex-wives as well as more contact with their children (measured in terms of the number of nights that the child spends at the father's house). Consequently, the father's relocation to a more distant location following the divorce may shelter the child from disruptions in the structure of the child's life as they split time between households and/or from post-divorce interparental conflict.

Breaking the ice! Predictors about communication between nonresident African American fathers and sons about sex.

PubMed

Burns, Jade C; Caldwell, Cleopatra H

2016-02-01

Research on communication between resident and nonresident African American fathers and their sons about sex has been understudied. The purpose of this study is to determine the influence of parenting variables, specifically, racial socialization and father involvement on nonresident African American father-son communication about sex. Data for this study are from the Fathers and Sons Project. This intervention study is designed to enhance relationships between nonresident African American fathers and their 8-12 year old sons and to prevent risky health behaviors among sons. The present study is based on 345 African American boys who completed baseline face-to-face interviews. The average age of the sons was 10.2 years old (SD = 1.4), with an average of two siblings (SD = 1.53). Age and sons' perceptions of more parental monitoring by their fathers were predictive of increased communication about sex. Racial socialization messages explained additional variance in communication about sex above other parenting variables and controls. Findings suggest when working with African American families, providers who counsel parents, and in particular provide outreach to fathers regarding communication about sex, are in a unique position to enhance parenting communication skills about sexuality. ©2015 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

ANTENATAL DETERMINANTS OF PARENTAL ATTACHMENT AND PARENTING ALLIANCE: HOW DO MOTHERS AND FATHERS DIFFER?

PubMed

Luz, Rita; George, Astrid; Vieux, Rachel; Spitz, Elisabeth

2017-03-01

Parental (parent-to-infant) attachment and parenting alliance are defined as two important components of psychoaffective adjustment to the parental role. This study aimed to build a predictive model of parental attachment and parenting alliance for mothers and fathers using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. Specifically, we were interested in assessing how adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress influenced parental attachment (parent-to-infant) and parenting alliance. Forty heterosexual couples completed questionnaires during the third trimester of pregnancy and 2 months after childbirth. Results showed that adult romantic attachment, marital quality, and psychological distress were important antenatal determinants of parental attachment and parenting alliance, although they behaved differently for mothers and fathers. Hence, different predictive models were therefore proposed for mothers and fathers. Mothers' attachment to the child was influenced by internal factors as adult attachment dimensions; for fathers, it also depended on mothers' antenatal attachment to the child and on marital quality. Concerning parenting alliance, both mothers and fathers depended on own and partner's variables. Antenatal variables are important for what occurs during the transition to parenthood in terms of parenting adjustment and act differently for mothers and fathers. It thus is important to assess the psychological functioning of both mothers and fathers. © 2017 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in Mothers and Fathers: Family Level Interactions in Relation to Parenting.

PubMed

Williamson, David; Johnston, Charlotte; Noyes, Amira; Stewart, Kurtis; Weiss, Margaret D

2017-04-01

Previous studies linking parent ADHD symptoms to parenting have typically focused on each parent individually. To provide a broader understanding of family context, in this study, levels of inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity in mothers and fathers were examined, both individually and in combination, in relation to negative parenting and child-rearing disagreements. Two-parent families of 5 to 13 year old boys (126 with ADHD and 53 typically developing) participated. Parents reported their own ADHD symptoms and their perceptions of child-rearing disagreements. Parenting was measured using self-, partner-, and child-reports as well as observations. Controlling for child ADHD symptoms, inattention symptoms in fathers predicted parenting difficulties. For mothers, inattention symptoms were linked to parenting problems only when fathers also had high levels of inattention. In contrast, parenting was most problematic for both mothers and fathers in families in which fathers had higher and mothers had lower levels hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms. These results remained essentially unchanged when child externalizing behavior and mother depression and hostility were controlled, but father depression reduced the significance of some interactions. The results highlight the importance of the match between father and mother levels of symptoms, and point to differential relations of parenting to inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity symptoms in parents.

Fathers' views on their financial situations, father-child activities, and preventing child injuries.

PubMed

Olsen, Lise L; Oliffe, John L; Brussoni, Mariana; Creighton, Genevieve

2015-01-01

Unintentional injuries are a leading public health problem for children, particularly among those living at lower socioeconomic levels. Parents play an important preventive role, and the aim of this study was to examine fathers' views on the role of their family financial situation in preventing children's injuries. In-depth interviews were conducted with 15 fathers of children 2 to 7 years living in western Canada. Questions solicited fathers' views about their financial situation and their child injury prevention efforts. Data analysis was underpinned by masculinity theory and guided by constant comparative grounded theory methods. Findings included that fathers living with fewer financial limitations emphasized use of safety equipment and aligned themselves with provider and protector masculine ideals. Fathers with moderate financial constraint described more child-centered safety efforts and efforts to manage finances. Those facing greatest constraint demonstrated aspects of marginalized masculinities, whereby they acknowledged their economic provider limitations while strongly aligning with the protector role. These findings hold relevance for development of interventions aimed at reducing child injury risk inequities. Taking into account how masculinities may shape their beliefs and practices can inform design of father-centered interventions for men living at different points on the socioeconomic spectrum. © The Author(s) 2013.

Mother, father, and adolescent self-control and adherence in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Lansing, Amy Hughes; Crochiere, Rebecca; Cueto, Carrie; Wiebe, Deborah J; Berg, Cynthia A

2017-06-01

This study explored whether shared self-control across a family system, including adolescent, mother, and father self-control, as well as the interaction of mother and father self-control, was associated with ease of completing adherence tasks and the completion of adherence behaviors related to the Type 1 diabetes (T1D) regimen. One hundred thirty-seven adolescents (M = 13.48 years), mothers, and fathers completed a self-report measure of self-control, while adolescents also self-reported on ease of completing adherence tasks and the frequency with which they completed adherence tasks. Higher adolescent, mother, father, and the interaction of mother and father self-control were each associated with greater adolescent perceptions of ease of completing adherence tasks. Also, greater adolescent perception of ease of adherence mediated the association of higher adolescent, father, and the interaction of mother and father self-control on more frequent adherence behaviors. The results are consistent with the idea that family members may share the load of self-control within the family system. The results point to the importance of assessing and intervening within the entire family system to support improved quality of life and better adherence to the medical regimen in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Professionals' positive perceptions of fathers are associated with more favourable attitudes towards including them in family interventions.

PubMed

de Montigny, Francine; Gervais, Christine; Meunier, Sophie; Dubeau, Diane

2017-12-01

This Université du Québec en Outaouais study examined professionals' attitudes towards fathers, their perceived self-efficacy when working with them and their perceptions of the importance of including fathers in family interventions. Professionals in Québec, Canada, working in childcare fields such as education, social services, health, community services and management answered a self-report questionnaire between 2013 and 2015. The 296 respondents (90% females) had a mean age of 39 (20-65), were from urban, semi-urban and rural settings and provided services to families with children up to five years of age. Social service professionals perceived fathers more negatively than did other professionals. Even though male professionals perceived fathers more negatively, they felt more confident working with them than did their female counterparts. Positive perceptions of fathers were associated with more favourable attitudes towards including them in family interventions, and this association was mediated by the professionals' perceptions of their own self-efficacy. The most negative attitudes were reported by social service professionals. Male professionals viewed fathers more negatively but were more confident working with them than were female colleagues. Improving professionals' perceptions of fathers could help to promote their inclusion in family interventions. ©2017 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fathers' Alcohol and Cannabis Use Disorder and Early Onset of Drug Use by Their Children.

PubMed

Henry, Kimberly L

2017-05-01

The unique influence of fathers' alcohol and cannabis use disorder on children's onset of use of these same substances has been rarely studied. A clear understanding of family history in this context is important for the development of family-based prevention initiatives aimed at delaying the onset of substance use among children. Prospective, longitudinal, and intergenerational data on 274 father-child dyads were used. Logistic regression models were estimated to assess the association between fathers' lifetime incidence of an alcohol and cannabis use disorder and children's onset of use of these same substances at or before age 15. The children of fathers who met the criteria for a lifetime cannabis use disorder were more likely to initiate use of alcohol (odds ratio = 6.71, 95% CI [1.92, 23.52]) and cannabis (odds ratio = 8.13, 95% CI [2.07, 31.95]) by age 15, when background covariates and presence of a lifetime alcohol use disorder were controlled for. No unique effect of fathers' alcohol use disorder on children's onset of alcohol and cannabis use was observed. Fathers' lifetime cannabis use disorder had a unique and robust association with children's uptake of alcohol and cannabis by age 15. Future research is needed to identify the mediating mechanisms that link fathers' disorder with children's early onset.

The Health Care Provider's Experience With Fathers of Overweight and Obese Children: A Qualitative Analysis.

PubMed

Anti, Eliza; Laurent, Jennifer S; Tompkins, Connie

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of health care providers (HCPs) in the outpatient setting as they work with fathers of children who are overweight and obese. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used for data collection and analysis. Seven HCPs were interviewed about their experiences. Two major themes emerged from the experiences of these HCPs: "dad in the back seat" and "paternal resistance." The theme of "dad in the back seat" captured the HCPs' experiences and perceptions of parental roles and related stereotypes with respect to fathers' lack of presence in the health-care setting, family roles that relegate fathers to the back seat in dealing with this issue, and the tendency of fathers to take a passive role and defer to mothers in the management of their child's weight. "Paternal resistance" reflected the perceived tendency of the father to resist the acceptance of his child's weight as a problem and to resist change and even undermine family efforts to make healthier choices. HCPs' experiences of fathers as having a minimal role in the management of their child's overweight and obesity may lead them to neglect fathers as agents of change with regard to this important issue. Copyright © 2016 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tales from the "hood:" placing reproductive health communication between African American fathers and children in context.

PubMed

Ohalete, Nnenna; Georges, Jane; Doswell, Willa

2010-01-01

To evaluate reproductive health communication between African American fathers and their children. In this qualitative ethnographic study, data were collected through tape-recorded individual interviews about the content and timing of reproductive health communication, the reproductive health values fathers intended to impart to their children, and their comfort level in doing so. A total sample of 19 African-American fathers participated. Data were coded according to the qualitative analytic principles established by Miles and Huberman (1994), and analyzed using manifest and latent content analysis approaches. Although 10 fathers reported feeling uncomfortable having these conversations, 18 reported having reproductive health communication with their children, and most encouraged their sons and daughters to delay sex until adulthood. These conversations were primarily driven by the fear of HIV/AIDS and the negative consequences of sex; however, some conversations were inappropriate for developmental age. African-American fathers may benefit from education to help them have age appropriate reproductive health communication with their children. Registered Nurses and Nurse Practitioners are well positioned to educate African American adolescents and their fathers on reproductive health. Future dyadic African American father-child studies are needed to explore more fully African-American children's perceptions of reproductive health communication and the effect on delaying sex.

Father involvement in Mexican-origin families: Preliminary development of a culturally informed measure.

PubMed

Roubinov, Danielle S; Luecken, Linda J; Gonzales, Nancy A; Crnic, Keith A

2016-04-01

An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children's development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican-origin families. A sample of 180 Mexican-origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican-origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican-origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A 2-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican-origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Father involvement in Mexican origin families: Preliminary development of culturally-informed measure

PubMed Central

Roubinov, Danielle S.; Luecken, Linda J.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Crnic, Keith A.

2015-01-01

Objectives An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children’s development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican origin families. Methods A sample of 180 Mexican origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. Results Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A two-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally-derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. Conclusions These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge. PMID:26237543

Incarcerated fathers and parenting: importance of the relationship with their children.

PubMed

Lee, Chang-Bae; Sansone, Frank A; Swanson, Cheryl; Tatum, Kimberly M

2012-01-01

This study examined the relationships of incarcerated fathers (n = 185) with their children while in a maximum security prison. Despite the attention to parental incarceration and at-risk children, the child welfare and corrections literature has focused mostly on imprisoned mothers and children. Demographic, sentence, child-related, and program participation factors were investigated for their influence on father-child relationships. Multiple regression analyses indicated race and sentence contributed to the father's positive perceptions of contacts with their children. Most important, many, though serving lengthy sentences, valued and perceived a positive father-child relationship. Results are discussed in light of implications for future research and social policy.

Low-income fathers' speech to toddlers during book reading versus toy play.

PubMed

Salo, Virginia C; Rowe, Meredith L; Leech, Kathryn A; Cabrera, Natasha J

2016-11-01

Fathers' child-directed speech across two contexts was examined. Father-child dyads from sixty-nine low-income families were videotaped interacting during book reading and toy play when children were 2;0. Fathers used more diverse vocabulary and asked more questions during book reading while their mean length of utterance was longer during toy play. Variation in these specific characteristics of fathers' speech that differed across contexts was also positively associated with child vocabulary skill measured on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory. Results are discussed in terms of how different contexts elicit specific qualities of child-directed speech that may promote language use and development.

Predictors of parenting stress among gay adoptive fathers in the United States.

PubMed

Tornello, Samantha L; Farr, Rachel H; Patterson, Charlotte J

2011-08-01

The authors examined correlates of parenting stress among 230 gay adoptive fathers across the United States through an Internet survey. As with previous research on adoptive parents, results showed that fathers with less social support, older children, and children who were adopted at older ages reported more parenting stress. Moreover, gay fathers who had a less positive gay identity also reported more parenting stress. These 4 variables accounted for 33% of the variance in parenting stress; effect sizes were medium to large. Our results suggest the importance of social support and a positive gay identity in facilitating successful parenting outcomes among gay adoptive fathers.

Infant Development in Father-Absent Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pedersen, Frank A.; And Others

1979-01-01

Father role in infancy was examined through a comparison of the stimulus responses of 27 infants reared by their mothers in single-parent families with the stimulus responses of 28 infants in father-present families. (CM)

Competent Fathers: Their Personalities and Marriages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heath, Douglas H.

1976-01-01

The adolescent personality, adult maturity, competence, and quality of marital relations associated with paternal competence were assessed by a longitudinal study of highly educated fathers. Paternal competence was rated by the fathers and their wives. (MS)

Changes in knowledge, attitude and involvement of fathers in supporting exclusive breastfeeding: a community-based intervention study in a rural area of Vietnam.

PubMed

Bich, Tran Huu; Cuong, Nguyen Manh

2017-02-01

To test the hypotheses of positive changes of fathers' knowledge, attitude and involvement in supporting exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) after receiving breastfeeding education materials and counseling services. A quasi-experimental, pre-test-post-test, non-equivalent control group design was used. At baseline, 251 and 241 pregnant women and their husbands were enrolled into the intervention and control groups, respectively. The 1-year intervention targeting fathers included mass media, game show-style community events, group and individual counseling at health facilities and home visits. Compared to fathers in the control group, fathers in the intervention group had higher BF knowledge scores and higher attitude scores reflecting more positive attitudes toward early initiation of BF and 6 months EBF. Fathers in the intervention group were also more likely to report active involvement in supporting mothers to practice EBF during antenatal and postpartum periods. The community-based education model should be maintained and considered for conducting further test in wider application to mobilize fathers in supporting EBF.

Ethnic differences in mental illness and mental health service use among Black fathers.

PubMed

Doyle, Otima; Joe, Sean; Caldwell, Cleopatra H

2012-05-01

We have presented nationally representative data on the prevalence and correlates of mental illness and mental health service use among African American and Caribbean Black (US-born and foreign-born) fathers in the United States. We have reported national estimates of lifetime and 12-month prevalence rates of mental illness, correlates, and service use among African American (n = 1254) and Caribbean Black (n = 633) fathers using data from the National Survey of American Life, a national household survey of Black Americans. We used bivariate cross-tabulations and Cox proportional hazards regression approaches and adjusted for the National Survey of American Life's complex sample design. The prevalence of mental illness, sociodemographic correlates, and service use among Black fathers varied by ethnicity and nativity. US-born Caribbean Black fathers had alarmingly high rates of most disorders, including depression, anxiety, and substance disorders. Mental health service use was particularly low for African American and foreign-born Caribbean Black fathers. These results demonstrate the need for more research on the causes and consequences of mental illness and the help-seeking behavior of ethnically diverse Black fathers.

Marital Problems, Maternal Gatekeeping Attitudes, and Father-Child Relationships in Adolescence

PubMed Central

Stevenson, Matthew M.; Fabricius, William V.; Cookston, Jeffrey T.; Parke, Ross D.; Coltrane, Scott; Braver, Sanford L.; Saenz, Delia S.

2013-01-01

We evaluated maternal gatekeeping attitudes as a mediator of the relation between marital problems and father-child relationships in three waves when children were in 7th through 10th grade. We assessed each parent’s contribution to the marital problems experienced by the couple. Findings from mediational and cross-lagged structural equation models revealed that increased marital problem behaviors on the part of mothers at wave 1 predicted increased maternal gatekeeping attitudes at wave 2 which in turn predicted decreased amounts of father-adolescent interaction at wave 3. Decreased amounts of interaction with either parent were associated within each wave with adolescents’ perceptions that they mattered less to that parent. Amount of interaction with fathers at wave 2 positively predicted changes in boys’ perceptions of how much they mattered to their fathers at wave 3, and amount of interaction with mothers at wave 2 positively predicted changes in girls’ perceptions of how much they mattered to their mothers at wave 3. The findings did not differ for European-American versus Mexican-American families, or for biological fathers versus step-fathers. PMID:24364832