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Journal Article Father involvement in families of urban American Indians has been a neglected area of research. In this study, the authors examined the associations among parental relationship quality, father involvement, and coresidence. The authors conducted a multiple group analysis through structural equation modeling comparing 107 American Indian fathers with fathers of the general population in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Although the results were similar between groups, findings indicated two key differences for urban American Indians. First, emotional supportiveness had a stronger…
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Journal Article The article focuses on the low-income fathers and the role of laws and legislations of the court regarding the absence of fathers in the low-income families. Even though low-income fathers are included in the general research on absent fathers, they may face various problems and challenges related to paternal engagement during and after court actions. Various barriers to the paternal engagement discussed include relational, structural and role barriers. (Author abstract)
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Journal Article This paper reviews the research of the past two decades that addresses the relationship between family structure and early child health outcomes. Specifically, we focus on family structure's influence on child health during pregnancy, birth, and infancy. We briefly summarize the most pervasive changes to family structure in the US during recent decades and discuss how early child health is linked to future outcomes for children and adults. We review research that highlights the mechanisms linking family structure to early child health and identify key risk and protective factors for children…
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Journal Article Implicit in much of the fatherhood discourse is the assumption that if fathers want to take an active role in their children's lives, they could and would do so. While research has highlighted the factors associated with fathers' involvement, very few, if any, of these studies have been guided by a theory that accounts for both fathers' involvement intentions and their ability to follow through on those intentions. The theory of planned behavior and its emphasis on attitudes, the beliefs of significant others, and whether one has control over engaging in behavior is a conceptual fit to…
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Journal Article Adult men often report a sense of feeling a father wound when reflecting on their own father-son relationship. Perhaps in part due to a rejection of traditional fathering practices that may have contributed to such wounds, fathers today are increasingly adopting a 'new involved father' role that is more welcoming of emotional expression and involvement in a child's life. This paper argues that adopting this new role may allow men to not only connect with their sons, but also to come to terms with problematic aspects of their own father-son relationship. In this way, fathering a son may allow…
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Journal Article Results of a qualitative study of low-income men's experience with the provider role are reported here. This study explored how 47 low-income men construct, express, and negotiate their identities as fathers and providers, and perceived barriers presented by the provider role. Overall, fathers consistently expressed the need to redefine the provider role in to include social and emotional components. Additionally, fathers articulated the many barriers and social pressures they experience as a result of the provider role, and how these barriers create an environment that is detrimental to…
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Journal Article Background: Factors related to parents and parenting capacities are important predictors of the development of behavioural problems in children. Recently, there has been an increasing research focus in this field on the earliest years of life; however, relatively few studies have addressed the role of fathers, despite this appearing to be particularly pertinent to child behavioural development. This study aimed to examine whether father-infant interactions at age 3 months independently predicted child behavioural problems at 1 year of age. Method: A sample of 192 families was recruited from…
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Journal Article This study examined the factors associated with higher levels of paternal involvement among nonresidential, Black fathers from low-income neighborhoods. Participants were 110 fathers of children up to the age of 10. Participants completed psychometrically sound measures of social support, religiosity, family-of-origin father closeness, coparenting relationship quality, psychological well-being, conviction history since the birth of the child, and paternal involvement. A simultaneous multiple regression indicated that better psychological well-being and coparenting relationship quality and…
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Journal Article Positive attachment experiences during infancy are linked to positive developmental outcomes of children later in life. The parent-infant relationship does not start upon the birth of the child, but already evolves during pregnancy. In this exploratory study, fathers' experiences during pregnancy are investigated, focusing on their relationship with the unborn baby. At 26 weeks gestational age, expectant fathers from a Dutch community-based sample (N = 301) completed questionnaires concerning feelings of attachment to the fetus and psychological well-being. The semistructured Working Model of…
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Journal Article This article shares parenting tips from the Families Over Coming Under Stress (FOCUS) program, a program that provides resiliency training to military children and families affected by multiple deployments. Tips include: set parenting goals, communicate openly, build consistent routines, provide logical consequences, and model the behaviors you want to see.
