Longitudinal relationships between unmarried fathers' involvement and their children's behavior problems: Using latent growth modeling

Abstract

Using a sample of 3409 unmarried mothers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, this study examined the longitudinal relationships between unmarried fathers' involvement on behavior problems of children ages from one through five, after accounting for the effects of mothers' socioeconomic status, psychological health, and parenting stress. The results from our latent growth structural equation model showed that the longitudinal effects of unmarried fathers' involvement on their children's behavior problems measured at ages 1, 3, and 5 were statistically significant. Both levels and trends of father involvement over time were negatively related to those of child behavior problems. The findings also suggest that maternal economic status and parenting stress were the most influential predictors of children's behavior problems. Maternal depression and parenting stress were found to be significant determinants of father involvement. Policy and practice implications of its findings were discussed.