The Long Reach of Prenatal Behaviors and Attitudes on Unmarried Fathers’ Engagement from Early Childhood to Adolescence

• In Event: Fathering in the Prenatal Period: Elucidating Paternal Experiences and Contributions During Pregnancy and Childbirth

Abstract

Introduction

Young children develop in a network of relationships including relationships with caregivers, which shape all aspects of development (Cabrera et al., 2018). Fathers who are engaged with their children, responsive to their needs, and form close bonds with them contribute in multiple ways to healthy child development (Cabrera et al., 2018). Yet, there are many factors – including marital and residence status -- that challenge fathers’ capacity to support children’s development. Nonresident and unmarried fathers are less likely than their counterparts to be involved with their children, putting them at greater risk for sub-optimal development (Choi et al., 2018). Earlier studies have found that unmarried fathers’ prenatal and birth-related behaviors (e.g., attending prenatal visits), attitudes (e.g., pregnancy wantedness), and fatherhood identity are longitudinally related to their involvement with their children (Lindberg et al., 2017), but these studies have examined only one or two of these variables, rather than multiple variables. Thus, it is difficult to know which variables are most important for predicting later father involvement. We build on these studies by including a broad range of fathers’ prenatal and birth-related variables to predict later father involvement with children. In addition, few studies have examined the longitudinal associations among these prenatal and birth-related variables and father involvement in later years (e.g., adolescence). The handful of studies examining these variables have mostly assessed father involvement with children during early or middle childhood (Adamsons & Pasley, 2016). Research that incorporates a broad range of prenatal and birth-related variables can guide policy and programs designed to support unmarried fathers’ involvement from conception through the entirety of childhood.

Methods

Framed within the life course theoretical perspective (Elder, 1998) and identity theory (Pasley et al., 2014), we use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study (FFCW) to ask: (1) are unmarried at birth fathers' prenatal and birth-related behavioral, attitudinal, and identity adjustments directly related to father engagement in child-related activities during early childhood and father-child closeness in middle childhood and adolescence? (2) do father engagement in child-related activities during early childhood, coresidence, and coparenting at age 5 mediate the association between unmarried fathers' prenatal and birth-related variables and father-child relationship in middle childhood and adolescence?, and (3) do father-child closeness, coresidence, and coparenting in middle childhood mediate the association between fathers' prenatal and birth-related variables and father-child relationship during adolescence?

Results and Conclusion

We found that father engagement at Y5 was significantly and positively associated with father presence at birth (β = .10, p < .001), identity centrality (β = .06, p < .05), coresidence at baseline (β = .06, p < .05), and mother perception of prenatal support (β = .16, p < .001). We also found that father involvement and coparenting cooperation significantly mediated associations among fathers' prenatal and birth-related variables and father-child closeness at ages 9 and 15. Our findings indicate that researchers, practitioners, and policymakers should take advantage of the prenatal period and direct resources to facilitate and strengthen prospective unmarried fathers’ early relationships with their partners and children.

Authors

• Jay Fagan, Temple University
  Presenting Author

• Natasha J Cabrera, University of Maryland - College Park

• Rachel Ghosh, University of Maryland - College Park