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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate perceptions of fatherhood among fathers of high-risk neonates and their confidence regarding neonatal care. Methods: A study was conducted of 100 fathers whose neonates had been admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for at least 48 hours. Perceptions of fatherhood, neonatal characteristics, and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were measured using a self-reported questionnaire. The survey took approximately 10 minutes to complete and was completed anonymously. The factors that affected fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care were analyzed using multiple regression. Results: The scores for positive and negative perceptions of fatherhood were relatively high at 4.27 and 3.42 out of 5 points, respectively. A positive perception of fatherhood was found to influence fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care. Conclusion: NICU nurses should encourage fathers to effectively perform their parenting roles by implementing educational programs and interventions to promote positive perceptions of fatherhood and fathers' confidence regarding neonatal care after discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the determinants of paternal investment by birth fathers and stepfathers. Inclusive fitness theory predicts higher parental investment in birth children than stepchildren, and this has consistently been found in previous studies. Here we investigate whether paternal investment varies with childhood co-residence duration and differs between stepfathers and divorced birth fathers by comparing the investment of (1) stepfathers, (2) birth fathers who are separated from the child's mother, and (3) birth fathers who still are in a relationship with her. Path analysis was conducted using cross-sectional data from adolescents and younger adults (aged 17–19, 27–29, and 37–39 years) from the German Family Panel (pairfam), collected in 2010–2011 (n = 8326). As proxies of paternal investment, we used financial and practical help, emotional support, intimacy, and emotional closeness, as reported by the children. We found that birth fathers who were still in a relationship with the mother invested the most, and stepfathers invested the least. Furthermore, the investment of both separated fathers and stepfathers increased with the duration of co-residence with the child. However, in the case of financial help and intimacy, the effect of childhood co-residence duration was stronger in stepfathers than in separated fathers. Our findings support inclusive fitness theory and mating effort theory in explaining social behavior and family dynamics in this population. Furthermore, social environment, such as childhood co-residence was associated with paternal investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As fatherhood education programs become more common and as the United States becomes increasingly diverse, efforts are needed to ensure that programs reach underrepresented groups. Using a mixed-method evaluation approach, this study examined the programmatic impacts and experiences of Latino fathers (n = 156) who participated in fatherhood education programs. Quantitative analyses indicated that participants showed improvements in father-child relations, decreases in partner conflict, and more positive perceptions of employability from pretest to posttest. Qualitative analyses revealed that the programs were largely positively received, with participants reporting greater knowledge of several targeted concepts. Overall, findings suggest that Latino fathers derive perceived benefits from participation in fatherhood education programs. Practical implications are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare professionals, especially nurses, play a central role in supporting parents during their stay in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Fathers often have their own support needs; however, studies have shown that these needs are rarely met to the same degree as those of the mothers. We developed a "father-friendly NICU" with the aim of providing good-quality care to the entire family. To evaluate the impact of this concept, we adopted a quasi-experimental design; using the Nurse Parent Support Tool (NPST), we investigated the differences in the fathers' (n = 497) and mothers' (n = 562) perception of the nursing support received on admission and discharge between before and after the intervention. In the historical control and intervention groups, the fathers' median NPST scores at admission were 4.3 (range, 1.9–5.0) and 4.0 (range, 2.5–4.8), respectively (p < 0.0001); at discharge, these scores were 4.3 (range, 1.6–5.0) and 4.4 (range, 2.3–5.0), respectively (difference not significant). In the historical control and intervention groups, the mothers median NPST scores at admission were 4.5 (range, 1.9–5.0) and 4.1 (range, 1.0–4.8), respectively (p < 0.001); at discharge, these scores were 4.4 (range, 2.7–5.0) and 4.4 (range, 2.6–5), respectively (difference not significant). The parental perception of support did not increase after the intervention; however, the parents reported a high level of staff support both before and after the intervention. Further studies should focus on parental support needs during the different phases of hospitalization (i.e., admission, stabilization, and discharge). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study provides the first systematic longitudinal analysis of the influence of paternal involvement in family life—across childhood and adolescence—on the gender‐role attitudes of children by the age of 14 or 15. Background: Recent research suggests that, in post‐industrial societies, paternal involvement in family life is increasing. Although previous studies of paternal involvement have considered paternal influences on children's cognitive or socio‐emotional development, such studies have not yet addressed paternal influences on children's attitudes toward gender. Relatedly, previous studies on the intergenerational transmission of gender attitudes have analyzed maternal influences, but have neglected the significance of paternal influences. This study engages both strands of the research by analyzing the effects of paternal behaviors on children's attitudes toward gender roles. Method: Multivariate linear regressions models were estimated on data from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (LSAC); a survey with biannual observations over 10 years for 2796 children born between 1999 and 2000. Results: Fathers' time spent on childcare during childhood was associated with gender‐egalitarian attitudes in children by the age of 14 or 15. The most powerful predictor of children's gender‐role attitudes, however, was the amount of time fathers spent on housework during children's adolescence, both absolute and relative to the amount of time mothers spent on housework. Fathers' unpaid labor at home was as relevant for children's gender‐role attitudes as mothers' paid labor in the workforce. These results held after controlling for maternal domestic behaviors and for the gender‐role attitudes of both parents. Conclusion: Father involvement in childcare and housework during childhood and adolescence play an important role in shaping children's gender‐egalitarian attitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Latinoamericana de Psicopatologia Fundamental is the property of Associacao Universitaria de Pesquisa em Psicopatologia Fundamental and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Infant mental health represents a significant public health issue. The transition to parenthood provides optimal opportunities for supporting parenting competence. Especially parental mentalization, i.e. the caregiver's ability to notice and interpret the child's behavior in terms of mental states, is important in infancy where the caregiver-infant communication is based solely on the infant's behavioral cues. Methods: This study evaluates the efficacy of the intervention Understanding Your Baby (UYB) compared to Care As Usual (CAU) in 10 Danish municipalities. UYB aims at promoting parental competence in new parents by supporting them in noticing their infants' behavioral cues and interpreting them in terms of mental states. Participants will be approximately 1,130 singletons and their parents. Inclusion criteria are first-time parents, minimum 18 years old, living in one of the 10 municipalities, and registered in the Danish Civil Registration Register (CPR). Around 230 health visitors deliver the UYB as part of their routine observation of infant social withdrawal in the Danish home visiting program. During an interaction between the health visitor and the infant, the health visitor articulates specific infant behaviors and helps the caregivers interpret these behaviors to mental states. The study is a controlled parallel group study with data obtained at four time points in two phases: First in the control group receiving the publicly available postnatal care (CAU), secondly in the intervention group after UYB implementation into the existing postnatal services. The primary outcome is maternal competence. Secondary measures include paternal competence, parental stress, parental mentalizing, and infant socioemotional development. Analysis will employ survey data and data from the health visitors' register. Discussion: Results will provide evidence regarding the efficacy of UYB in promoting parenting competences. If proved effective, the study will represent a notable advance to initiating the UYB intervention as part of a better infant mental health strategy in Denmark. Conversely, if UYB is inferior to CAU, this is also important knowledge in regard to promoting parenting competence and infant mental health in a general population. Trial registrationhttps://ClinicalTrials.gov with ID no. NCT03991416. Registered at 19 June 2019—Retrospectively registered, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03991416 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children's exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a serious problem that has been increasingly examined during the last four decades. In the case of severe IPV, children are placed with their mothers in shelters for women survivors of domestic violence (SDV). The current study aimed to understand young children's descriptions of relating with their fathers during their stay in SDVs. Interviews were conducted with 32 Israeli children, aged 7 to 12 years. Two main themes and five subthemes were identified through thematic analysis: (1) Atypical visiting arrangements (subthemes: a lack of understanding about the meaning of supervised visitations, inconsistent and unstable visitations); (2) ambivalent attitudes towards the visiting arrangements (subthemes: enjoying fathers' attention and shared family time, worry and guilt following the visitations, controversial messages from fathers). The findings demonstrate the children's subjective views and emphasize the benefit of gathering qualitative data from young children in the context of exposure to IPV. Findings are discussed in light of the cognitive dissonance reduction theory. Limitations of the study are discussed, along with implications for practice, theory and future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing separation and divorce rates have attracted scholars' attention to the association between relationship breakup and the relations between fathers and their minor children. Pre-separation life course events and characteristics may influence this relationship. One important characteristic to be considered is the type of union in which ex-partners were in. In this article, we study the association between previous union type and post-dissolution father–child face-to-face contact and father's satisfaction with the relationship, before and after controlling for factors related to selection into a cohabiting union. Using pooled data from the first wave of the Generations and Gender Survey for 11 European countries, it is shown that, models that do not control for characteristics typically connected with selection into different union types suggest that previously cohabiting fathers have less intensive contact with their child(ren) and are less satisfied with the relationship with their minor children. Taking into consideration the main socio-demographic father and child's characteristics, this difference turns out not to be statistically significant. This research suggests that union type does not make a difference, confirming most previous studies of single European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study examined the effects of an educational program for fathers on improving father-infant interactions, child-rearing knowledge, and attachment. Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, the participants were recruited by convenience sampling among fathers with infants (2-6 months of age) residing in three districts of Seoul. Fifteen participants in the experimental group and 17 participants in the control group completed the follow-up investigation. A 5-week online and offline intervention program with five sessions was provided to the experimental group. The data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEEs). Results: There was a significant difference in the change in father-infant interaction scores of the experimental group, especially in the caregiver aspect with a significance level of .100 in time and group-to-group interactions (B=6.46, p=.051, 95% confidence interval [CI]=-0.02-12.94). The changes between the groups and times were not statistically significant when it came to infant development knowledge and father-infant attachment. Conclusion: We conclude that hybrid online and offline education should be implemented as an effective method to improve fathers' interactions with their children based on accurate knowledge about infant development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Child's crying is the stimuli serving the development of a child–parent relationship through evoking child-oriented and parent-oriented parental reactions. Individual differences in parental reactions to crying have been partly explained by parental and child's temperament. We conducted two studies to verify the predicting effects of temperamental emotionality of parents and children on mothers' (Study 1 and 2) and fathers' (Study 2) self-reported emotional reactions to own child crying. In the Study 1 (N = 108), maternal ratings of the child's global level of emotional reactivity and regulation partially mediated the relationship between mother's emotional reactivity and parent-oriented reactions to the child crying. This result was confirmed in the Study 2 (N = 270) with maternal general negative affect and child's negative emotionality as predictors. Additionally, in the Study 2, child's temperamental negative emotionality fully mediated the relationship between the father's negative affect and parent-oriented emotional reactions to the child's crying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa is the property of Universidade de Brasilia, Instituto de Psicologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most studies on parenting children with Down syndrome and other intellectual disabilities have focused on stress and coping; however, research has shown many rewards in parenting such children. Additionally, most research has assessed mothers' rather than fathers' perspectives. To take steps toward filling these literature gaps, we asked fathers of children with Down syndrome about their parenting experiences. Participants were 175 fathers of children with Down syndrome. Open-ended questions asked fathers what they found most rewarding and challenging about parenting a child with Down syndrome. Researchers coded responses using inductive content analysis. Key themes for rewards included: (1) Child's Positive Attributes and Behaviors; (2) Rewarding Father-Child Relationship; (3) Child Has Positively Changed Father; and (4) Father's Positive Relationship with Others. Key themes for challenges included: (1) Father's Thoughts, Emotions, and Behaviors; (2) Child's Challenging Behavior and Development; (3) System and Institutional Problems; and (4) Other People's Negative Attitudes/Behaviors. Rewards mainly concerned the father–child bond and the loving, happy child. Fathers rarely mentioned financial stressors or their children's negative behaviors. Instead, many fathers reported children's speech problems. Our findings may assist healthcare professionals in providing more beneficial resources and interventions (especially language-related ones) to families with a child with Down syndrome. Consistent with a positive psychology approach, fathers reported more rewards than challenges in raising a child with Down syndrome. There may be a need for greater involvement of fathers in language interventions for children with Down syndrome. Healthcare professionals can assist parents of children with Down syndrome in recognizing parenting rewards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Substantial developmental changes in sleep occur during the preschool period, but few studies have investigated the factors that forecast these developments. The aim of this study was to examine whether three aspects of father–child relationships in toddlerhood predicted individual differences in developmental patterns of change in five actigraphy‐derived sleep variables during the preschool period (N = 67; sleep assessed yearly between 2 and 4 years). In a predominantly White and middle‐to‐higher income sample, paternal mind‐mindedness and quality of father–child interactions were assessed during father–child free play at 18 months and fathers self‐reported on their involvement in childrearing at age 2. Multilevel growth modeling revealed that children whose father made more mind‐related comments during father–child interactions had a higher proportion of sleep taking place during nighttime as well as shorter daytime and total sleep duration at 2 years. This was, however, followed by a relative leveling off (i.e., less rapid change) of these sleep features between 2 and 4 years. Given previous studies documenting that nighttime sleep proportion increases while daytime and total sleep duration decrease during preschool years, the findings suggest that children who are exposed to more paternal mind‐mindedness may reach more mature sleep patterns earlier in development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The breastfeeding intention–behaviour gap remains wide in developed countries. Current studies have focused on maternal attitudes and behaviours concerning infant feeding in order to explore barriers to breastfeeding continuation. There has been limited consideration of the impact of paternal attitudes and behaviours, despite contemporary parenthood evolving and evidence indicating that there are greater levels of paternal involvement in routine childcare tasks. This mixed‐methods study used a triangulation design to examine the associations between paternal attitudes towards parenthood and infant‐feeding methods, levels of paternal involvement, infant‐feeding outcomes, and father–infant relationships. Fathers of infants <52 weeks completed an online survey providing quantitative data (N = 212) and qualitative data (N = 208). For the quantitative data, fathers completed validated measures about their attitude towards parenthood and infant feeding, levels of paternal involvement, and infant‐feeding history. For the qualitative data, questions explored influences on paternal attitudes towards infant feeding and the father–infant relationship. After controlling for covariates, regression analyses found egalitarian attitudes towards parenthood were positively associated with both attitudes towards breastfeeding and levels of paternal involvement. Positive paternal attitudes towards breastfeeding were significantly associated with increased likelihood of breastfeeding. A thematic framework analysis indicated fathers' attitudes towards infant feeding were largely influenced by their families and partners or healthcare professionals. Polarised views were expressed about the impact infant‐feeding methods had on the father–infant relationship, although fathers were united in their desire to bond with their infant. Addressing paternal attitudes and the importance of father–infant involvement in domains other than feeding maybe beneficial in supporting breastfeeding and the father–infant relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a mixed-methods approach, this study examined the outcomes and experiences of incarcerated minority fathers (N = 713) who participated in InsideOut Dad, a widely used, corrections-based fatherhood education program. Quantitative analyses indicated decreases in partner conflict among participants and more positive perceptions of subjective well-being. Qualitative analyses revealed that the program was positively received, with participants noting the skills they developed. As a result of fatherhood education, incarcerated minority fathers reported being empowered and more confident in their roles as fathers and that they learned needed skills to be responsible and responsive fathers. Such findings may inform facilitators of corrections-based parenting programs on best practices for serving incarcerated fathers from historically underserved groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to explore first-time fathers' experiences during their transition to parenthood in South Korea. Methods: Data were collected from September 2019 to February 2020 through in-depth interviews that were conducted individually with 12 participants. First-time fathers with children under 2 months of age were recruited. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: Four theme clusters were identified: Preparing to become a father, challenges of becoming a father, motivation to foster familial bonds, and acknowledgement of fatherhood. Conclusion: These findings suggest that Korean first-time fathers prepared to practice parenthood through prenatal education, taegyo, and feeling bonds with their new baby. They recognized their identity as fathers and experienced self-growth. These results would be beneficial for health professionals in developing perinatal care programs, and the results provide basic data for studies on fathers and families during the transition to parenthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the associations of children's Head Start participation with the involvement and material contributions of their nonresident fathers. Background: Head Start, which provides comprehensive child care services to over 1 million low‐income children annually, aims to enhance relationships and increase parental involvement among participating families. Prior studies indicate that Head Start increases engagement among mothers of participating children; however, little is known about its effects on father involvement, particularly that of nonresident fathers. Method: Analyses are based on longitudinal data from the first five waves of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and focus on children with nonresident biological fathers at years 5 (N = 1,464) and 9 (N = 1,173). Associations are estimated between children's Head Start participation prior to kindergarten entry (at Age 5) and nonresident fathers' material contributions and social involvement at years 5 and 9, controlling for a rich set of individual, family, and contextual factors, including fathers' involvement prior to Head Start participation. Results: Results indicated that Head Start participation was associated with increased levels of nonresident fathers' contact and engagement with children, and more frequent provision of in‐kind support, but not more formal or informal cash child support. These associations appeared to operate through improving the strength and quality of coparenting and parents' relationships. Conclusion: Head Start may be an effective intervention for increasing nonresident fathers' involvement with children, which is another pathway through which Head Start can reduce socioeconomic inequalities and improve well‐being among children in low‐income families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parent–child interactions are critical for a child's overall wellbeing and growth, however there are differences in the types of interactions that mothers and fathers engage in. For example, fathers often utilize physical play, such as Rough-and-Tumble Play (RTP), to interact and bond with their child. Father-child RTP appears to contribute to a range of child outcomes, including social, emotional cognitive and behaviour development. Given the now robust evidence for these benefits of father–child play and RTP specifically, there is a need for a more complete understanding of the factors that contribute to the quality of fathers' RTP. This study examined the association between quality of father–toddler RTP and a range of paternal characteristics, parenting factors, child demographics and child developmental domains. The study included 64 sets of parents (mothers and fathers) and their toddler (age 18–24 months). Parent-reported questionnaires (demographic information, frequency of father–toddler RTP, father parenting stress, and child social-emotional development) were collected, observations of child developmental attainment (Bayley-III) completed and father–toddler RTP play interactions were rated for quality. We found that RTP for fathers who engaged in more father–toddler RTP, whose children were older and more socially-emotionally mature, was rated as higher quality in their RTP. By demonstrating links of RTP quality with both parenting behaviour and child development, this study contributes to a more complete understanding of the nature and context of father–child interactions. Father–child physical play, including RTP, may present an opportunity for professionals to bring fathers into their work with families. Highlights: When fathers engage in physical play with their children, it is generally more stimulating, vigorous and arousing for the child than mothers' play. The frequency of rough and tumble play is closely related to the quality of the play The quality of rough and tumble play is linked to children's age and social-emotional maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined how men who use intimate partner violence (IPV) experience being a parent. This study describes how Norwegian men in treatment for IPV reflect upon the impact of their childhood experiences on their fathering. We interviewed 11 men in treatment for IPV regarding their fathering experience, and their memories of having been parented. We performed a descriptive phenomenological analysis of the data. We identified two superordinate themes that described the participants' fathering experience: being a benign versus being a detrimental force in the child's life and having the intention of not repeating and the actual repetition of harmful parenting. The participants described being conflicted regarding being potentially damaging for their child's development. They generally described a lack of stable positive relationships, both early in life and in the present. Partner-violent men's meaning making of their fathering seems to be influenced by their early-life experiences with their parents in several problematic ways. Fathers who use IPV may both accept and reject that they have been harmed by the parenting they received as children. Similarly, they may both acknowledge and discard that their use of violence harms their children. We suggest that therapy should explore these themes and their consequences for the father - child relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Men who use intimate partner violence (IPV) often have challenges as caregivers such as poor understanding of children's needs and emotions. There is little knowledge regarding their everyday-life experiences of being a parent. We interviewed 14 men in therapy for intimate partner violence on how they experienced their relationship to one of their children (mean age 4,5 years). We performed a descriptive phenomenological analysis. Informants seldom explored their children's experience. They found that their fathering was influenced by past relationships and negative expectations for the future. The informants' bodily experience of emotional arousal was described as difficult to control and understand and was a limited source for meaning making in the father-child relationship. The experience of being a good father was connected to presence and control of the child's behavior. Informants felt that what they experienced as good parenting lacked others' recognition. Interventions for partner-abusive men should address their fathering and focus on fathers' life-experience and context as influencing their fathering. Therapeutic interventions should strengthen partner-abusive fathers' awareness of and meaning making from their emotional arousal. Where safety permits, dyadic interventions aiming at re-establishing the child's experience of safety in the father-child relationship should be considered by therapy providers as a complement to established interventions with partner-abusive men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined adult children's concurrent ties to biological fathers and stepfathers. Three mechanisms potentially determining the strength of father‐child and stepfather‐child ties were tested, namely, investment, interdependence, and substitution. Background: As most research studied father‐child and stepfather‐child ties separately, our knowledge about the potential substitution dynamics between the two ties is limited. Method: We used the Dutch Ouders en Kinderen in Nederland (OKiN) survey, which features an oversample of individuals, aged 25–45, who did not live with their two biological parents when growing up (N = 1,183; Mage = 31.89 [SD = 5.13]; 56% female). OKiN includes information on adults' relationships to all parent figures in their lives. Non‐recursive structural equation models were applied to account for the bidirectional influence between children's ties to biological fathers and stepfathers. Results: Our findings suggested that the quality of the two father‐child ties are interrelated, that is, we found a small substitution effect (i.e., adult children were more likely to "choose" one father in the presence of both). We also found that the quality of father‐child and stepfather‐child ties was associated with the length of the parental investment period (i.e., investment). In addition, bonds with stepfathers were positively associated with the attitudes of the two fathers toward each other, while bonds with both fathers were associated with the quality of the tie between the biological parents (i.e., interdependence). Conclusion: Overall, the weak substitution dynamic that we found implied that a poor tie with one father can partly be substituted by being close to another father. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Gynäkologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Aquichan is the property of Universidad de la Sabana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since the last decade review of the fathering literature in 2000, scholars across numerous disciplines such as demography, family studies, medicine, nursing, law, psychology, social work, and sociology have continued to produce a steady stream of work on fathering and father–child relationships. This literature is reviewed selectively with a focus on key developments, persistent challenges, and critical directions for future research. Significant developments include greater availability of large and nationally representative datasets to study fathers; expansion and evaluation of U.S. federal policy regarding fathers; thoughtful consideration of conceptualization and measurement of fathers' parenting; growth in research on coparenting, maternal gatekeeping, and fathering; increased attention to issues of diversity in fathering; and awareness of the effects of fathering on men's development. Persistent challenges and critical new directions in fathering research include full and routine inclusion of fathers in research on parenting, improved assessment and appropriate data analysis, adherence to evidence‐based portrayals of fathers' roles in children's development, generation and use of scientific evidence to guide policy‐making, and sustained attention to diversity and fatherhood. These should be priority areas of focus as fathering research proceeds into the next decades of the 21st century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paternity leave-taking is believed to benefit children by encouraging father-child bonding after a birth and enabling commitments to fathers' engagement. Yet, no known U.S. studies have directly focused on the associations between paternity leave-taking and children's reports of father-child relationships. Understanding the potential consequences of paternity leave-taking in the United States is particularly important given the lack of a national paid parental leave policy. The present study uses five waves of data on 1319 families, largely socioeconomically disadvantaged, from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to analyze the associations between paternity leave-taking and 9-year-old children's reports of their father-child relationships. We also assess the extent to which these associations are mediated by fathers' engagement, co-parenting quality, parental relationship satisfaction, and fathers' identities. Results indicate that leave-taking, and particularly 2 weeks or more of leave, is positively associated with children's perceptions of fathers' involvement, father-child closeness, and father-child communication. The associations are explained, at least in part, by fathers' engagement, parental relationship satisfaction, and father identities. Overall, results highlight the linked lives of fathers and their children, and they suggest that increased attention on improving opportunities for parental leave in the United States may help to strengthen families by nurturing higher quality father-child relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Traditional Medical Complementary Therapies is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Biostatistics is the property of Turkiye Klinikleri and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: This study revisits conceptual and operational definitions of fatherhood status to better account for family complexity characteristic of contemporary families. Background: Family complexity has emerged as a theme in research on contemporary families in the United States. Scholars have revisited methodological approaches to more readily document diversity and complexity characteristic of many families. Yet, the current conceptualization and operationalization of fatherhood status has lagged by focusing on a man's ties to one focal child. Method: The authors advocate for an approach that encapsulates ties men have with biological resident children, nonresident biological children, and resident stepchildren simultaneously. Analyses make use of the 2006 to 2015 National Survey of Family Growth, a nationally representative, repeated cross‐section and employ descriptive and multivariate analyses to identify the prevalence of various fatherhood statuses and consider the implications for father involvement among nonresident fathers. Results: Findings indicated that one in five fathers' ties to children were not adequately described by traditional approaches to measuring fatherhood. In addition, complexity in fatherhood status was only marginally associated with nonresident biological fathers' economic support to children when sociodemographic characteristics were considered. Conclusion: Traditional approaches proved most problematic for non‐White and socioeconomically disadvantaged men. We demonstrate the utility of our proposed approach to measuring fatherhood status by considering its linkage with nonresident father involvement and conclude by considering the implications these findings have for family policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infant Mental Health Journal is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Evidence suggests that paternity leave‐taking is associated with higher levels of father involvement, but research has been limited in its focus on cross‐sectional analyses and indicators of father involvement used. This study uses national longitudinal data to examine whether paternity leave‐taking is associated with 2 indicators of father engagement when children are infants, whether paternity leave‐taking is associated with trajectories of father engagement during the first few years of a child's life, and whether the relationships between paternity leave and father engagement are explained by fathering commitments and attitudes. The results suggest that longer periods of leave are associated with more frequent engagement in developmental tasks and caretaking when children are infants as well as during the first few years of children's lives. There is also evidence that father attitudes partially explain the relationships between length of paternity leave and father engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To examine the association of father early engagement behaviors and infant low birth weight (LBW) among unmarried, urban couples. Methods Participants were from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth-cohort study of urban families. We conducted cross-sectional analyses of data from interviews with unmarried mothers and fathers (N = 2726) that took place at the time of their child’s birth. Early engagement behaviors were based on fathers’ self-report of whether during the pregnancy they gave mothers money to buy things for the baby, helped in other ways like providing transportation to prenatal clinics, and attended the birth. Results Most (68.9%) fathers engaged in all three early engagement behaviors; 22% engaged in 2 behaviors; and 9.1% engaged in 1 or 0 early engagement behaviors. LBW more than doubled when comparing infants of fathers who engaged in all three early engagement behaviors (9.6% predicted probability of LBW) to those fathers who engaged in no early engagement behaviors (over 22% predicted probability of LBW). Conclusion Infant and maternal health may benefit from intervention to encourage positive father engagement during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research suggests that many fathers struggle balancing hegemonic masculine norms with new fatherhood ideals. This study uses data on 2,194 fathers from a national study on fathers of children aged 2 to 18 and incorporates a comprehensive assessment of masculine norms to examine whether adherence to masculine norms is associated with father involvement and whether this relationship is mediated by fathers' adherence to the new fatherhood ideal that promotes engaged, nurturing parenting. Results suggest that fathers who more closely adhere to masculine norms are less involved in instrumental and expressive parenting and are more likely to engage in harsh discipline than fathers who are less masculine. Adherence to masculine norms also reduces the likelihood of embracing the new fatherhood ideal, and adherence to the new fatherhood ideal at least partially mediates the relationship between masculinity and father involvement. Overall, despite changing expectations for fathers, hegemonic masculine norms continue to shape fathers' behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract: On the basis of a sample of 109 Chinese children, aged approximately 3 years, and their parents in Hong Kong, this study examined how paternal parenting interacted with 2 aspects of child temperament (i.e., negative emotionality and persistence) to predict children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Paternal supportive and aversive parenting practices were reported by fathers, and child temperament and behavioural problems were reported by both mothers and fathers. The results showed that paternal aversive parenting interacted with temperamental emotionality and persistence in the prediction of children's externalizing problems, controlling for maternal parenting. Specifically, young Chinese children who were more emotionally reactive and those who had lower attentional capacities were more vulnerable to aversive parenting from fathers, exhibiting more externalizing problems. Practical implications are discussed. Highlights: This study examined the interplay between child temperament and paternal parenting with regard to problem behaviour among Chinese preschoolers. Both mothers and fathers reported child behaviour problems, emotionality, persistence, and their parenting behaviour. Both emotionality and persistence interacted with aversive paternal parenting in relation to child externalizing behaviours, controlling for maternal parenting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Research indicates that fathers' criminal behavior can be problematic for children through multiple pathways, yet few studies have examined the effect of fathers' kinship networks in this process. This study examines the association between fathers' criminal behavior and involvement with their children and the extent to which a father's relationships with individuals in his extended family network moderate this association. Method: Hierarchical linear modeling was used to predict fathers' involvement using data from a longitudinal intergenerational study of 335 children and 149 low-income, minority fathers. Measures included 8 father-involvement outcomes, a measure of fathers' criminal behavior, and 2 moderator variables. Results: High-quality relationships between fathers and their male relatives moderated the negative effect of criminal behavior on measures of fathers' involvement. Criminal behavior was only associated with decreasing levels of father involvement when fathers had low-quality relationshipswithmale relatives. Conclusions: Strong and affirmative relationships-with male relatives specifically- may attenuate the adverse effects of antisocial and criminal behavior on fathers' involvement in at-risk families. Implications for tailoring practice to improve relationships between fathers and male relatives and to enhance fathers' prosocial involvement are noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the present study was to investigate the pathways through which fathers' warmth influences adolescents' grades. We investigated the positive beliefs of optimism and academic self-efficacy, and the motivational construct of determination, as possible mediators. Questionnaire data were collected from a sample of 183 sixth-graders (78 male, 105 female) from low-income families: 133 Mexican Americans, 36 African Americans, 11 European Americans, and 3 other ethnicity. Multigroup SEM path analysis was used to test two path models and investigate variations in these models by adolescents' gender. Results revealed that, controlling for mothers' warmth, fathers' warmth predicts adolescents' positive beliefs and that these relations vary by adolescents' gender. For male adolescents, relations between fathers' warmth and English language arts grades are mediated by academic self-efficacy and determination to persist on challenging schoolwork. For female adolescents, relations between fathers' warmth and math grades are mediated by optimism and determination. These results demonstrate the unique contributions of fathers' warmth to their sons' and daughters' emotional and academic development. Our study suggests that counselors and educators may positively influence adolescents' well-being by encouraging fathers to communicate warmth and acceptance to their adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined the relationship between parents' mental-state talk and preschoolers' executive function. Seventy-two children participated in the present study, as well as their mothers and fathers. When children were enrolled in the second preschool year, mothers' and fathers' use of mental-state references were assessed during a shared picture-book reading task with the child. Later, four months before admission to the first grade, preschoolers' executive function was measured. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that maternal, but not paternal, mental-state talk was a significant predictor of children's executive function composite, even after accounting for child gender, age, verbal ability, and parental education. When looking at each of the EF components, maternal mental-state talk proved to be a predictor of set-shifting whereas no significant relations emerged with inhibitory control or working memory. These findings add to prior research on parenting quality and executive function in preschoolers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aims: Early adolescence represents a critical developmental period both from a psychological and a psychopathological point of view. During this period, one of the most common disorders that frequently arise is represented by depression, that tends to become chronic and may produce many subsequent psychosocial impairments. The present study aimed to analyze characteristics of depressive symptoms in an Italian sample of early adolescents, and to explore their connections with self-esteem levels and perceived maternal and paternal emotional availability. Methods: 594 adolescents (50% females) with a mean age of 12.11 years (SD = 0.98) were administered the Children's Depression Inventory, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and the maternal and the paternal forms of the Lum Emotional Availability of Parents. Results: Findings highlighted a slightly higher, though not statistically significant, level of depressive symptoms in girls than in boys. Regression analysis showed that, as far as predictors of depression, self-esteem was the most relevant one, followed by maternal and paternal emotional availability. Conclusion: Our results strongly suggested to plan intervention programs aimed at monitoring early adolescents' self-esteem and supporting relationship with both parents, in order to prevent the emergence of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study contributes to the growing literature on factors associated with the formation of close relationships between stepfathers and stepchildren. The authors extend prior research by using nationally representative data from Add Health ( N = 179) to examine how factors existing prior to stepfamily formation are associated with the quality of stepfather-adolescent ties within the first year after married stepfathers join the household. Results from structural equation models revealed that both the quality of the mother-adolescent relationship and adolescent adjustment prior to stepfamily formation were significantly associated with the perceived quality of adolescents' relationships with their stepfathers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unintentional injury is an important cause of infant and child hospitalisation and parents play a key role in reducing children's risk-taking behaviour. Studies show that maternal and paternal parenting and supervision of children differ, but there is little research showing how fathers’ parenting may influence children's tendency to engage in risk-taking behaviour. Recent theoretical developments suggest that father's parenting may be particularly effective in encouraging safe risk taking. In this study, we examine how well parenting practices typically undertaken by fathers predict rates of children's injury risk at three years. Questionnaire data were collected from 46 fathers. Results show that both duration of rough-and-tumble play and fathers’ encouragement of perseverance predicted lower rates of injury behaviours, while their stimulation of risk taking predicted higher rates of injury behaviours. The results are discussed in the light of developmentally appropriate risk taking and fathering. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for children in the United States. Parental supervision is a key factor in preventing injuries, but little is known about the role of fathers. Today, one quarter of children live with a single mother, and another third live with a mother and her new partner, resulting in tremendous diversity in the amount and type of paternal involvement in children's lives. The authors examined the effects of involvement by resident biological, nonresident biological, and resident social fathers on the risk of injury among children from birth to age 5 using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 4,352). They found that living with a social father and social fathers' more frequent engagement with children increase risk of injury, but only for the youngest children. Higher levels of fathers' cooperative parenting reduce children's risk of injury regardless of fathers' biological or residential status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The birth of a child represents a unique window of opportunity to understand and support ongoing father involvement among low-income unmarried parents. Using data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial of a community-based home visiting intervention provided to 248 low-income African American women, a propensity score matching approach was used to estimate the effect of fathers' presence at birth on multiple measures of later father involvement over the first 2 years postpartum. The results indicated that participation in child care activities is the only form of involvement predicted by presence at birth at 4 months, and none of the forms of father involvement measured were predicted at 12 months; however, presence at birth was predictive of all 7 indicators of involvement at 24 months. Engaging fathers in the birth experience may represent an important opportunity to provide services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]