Poster #50 - Low-Income Risks for Early Childhood Development: The Protective Role of African American Fathers’ Parenting

• In Event: Poster Session 20

Abstract

Poverty can have a myriad of adverse effects on early childhood development, particularly language development and effortful control (Justice et al., 2019; Lengua et al., 2015). Preschool children with poor language and effortful control skills may struggle with school readiness and academic achievement (Lengua et al., 2015; Murphy et al., 2022). Due to the overrepresentation of African Americans living in poverty, African American children may be especially likely to lag in language development and effortful control. However, little work has examined the protective role that African American fathers may play in development of these skills, despite evidence that African American fathers engage with their children in ways that strengthen children’s development (Cabrera et al., 2007; Leavell et al., 2012).
Guided by bioecological theory and the process-person-context-time model, this study expands research on African American father engagement and links between father’s income and children’s language development (receptive vocabulary) and effortful control.
(H1): Income will be negatively associated with receptive vocabulary and effortful control.
(H2): Father’s engagement (i.e., language activities, physical play) will be positively associated with receptive vocabulary and effortful control.
(H3): The relationship between income and receptive vocabulary will be moderated by father engagement.
(H3a): High father engagement will reduce the association between income and children’s receptive vocabulary.
(H3b:): High father engagement will reduce the association between income and children’s effortful control.

Method
This study used data from Building Strong Families, which consisted of primarily low-income unmarried couples recruited from communities in the U.S. when they were transitioning to parenthood (Wood et al., 2012).
The current sample (N=845) only included fathers who self-identified as African American and participated in the final phase of data collection (child age 3) when language development and effortful control were assessed. Participants were residential and non-residential fathers who had seen their child within the past month. See Tables 1 and 2.
Income. Fathers reported their total annual earnings.
Language activities. Fathers reported frequency of engagement with their child in four activities (=.91; e.g., tell stories to child).
Physical play. Fathers reported frequency of engagement with their child in five activities (=.89; e.g., played chasing games).
Receptive Vocabulary. Interviewers administered the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test 4 (PPVT-4) (Dunn & Dunn, 2007).
Effortful Control. Interviewers rated children’s behavior on 4 items (e.g., task persistence).
Covariates. Child’s sex, mothers’ and fathers’ education, father’s residential status, mother’s language engagement, income, and number of biological children with the father prior to the target child.

Results & Discussion
Identical linear regression models were computed to predict effortful control and PPVT. Moderation was tested with interaction terms (e.g., income X physical play)
Preliminary results indicate income, but not father engagement, predicted receptive vocabulary. For effortful control, there were statistically significant interactions between income and both types of father engagement. Final analyses will interpret this interaction.
African American fathers’ engagement may be particularly salient to effortful control development in low-income contexts. These findings highlight the strengths and needs of African American families, while contributing to understanding how African American fathers influence children’s development.

Authors

• Victoria Hawa Cooper, University of Arizona
  Presenting Author

• Maria Belinda Vasquez, University of Arizona

• Priscilla Leticia Zambrano, University of Arizona

• Melissa A. Barnett, University of Arizona