Fathers Of Children Research Articles

Parenting stress and needs for social support in mothers and fathers of deaf or hard of hearing children.

Hearing parents of deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) children may experience parenting stress and social support could be a buffer to this stress. Differences in levels of these two indicators may exist between mothers and fathers. This study focuses on the parenting stress and social support needs of mothers and fathers of DHH children. Twenty-seven French parental couples of DHH children completed the Parenting Stress Index and the Family Needs Survey, a questionnaire on social support needs. Their overall stress scores showed no difference, but subdomain scores show that mothers and fathers are more stressed by the child's hyperactivity, and fathers by the child's adaptability, than parents of children with normal hearing. Mothers are more stressed than fathers by role restriction; they feel less free because of their parenting role. Fathers have a lower quality of attachment to their child than mothers. Parents have a high social support need, especially for obtaining information about their child's individual characteristics and health situation. The ranking of mothers and fathers in the top 10 needs reveals different needs profiles. Parenting stress profiles show that mothers and fathers with higher-than-normal stress levels have a greater overall need for social support than mothers and fathers with lower than normal stress levels. This study highlights the value of assessing parenting stress and social support needs in parents of DHH children for a better understanding of their situation in research and its clinical implications, as well as the importance of differentiating outcomes for mothers and fathers.

Failure to thrive in toddlers with lack of interest in eating and food and their cognitive development during later childhood.

Experiencing Failure to Thrive or malnutrition in early years has been associated with children later displaying low Intelligence Quotient (IQ). The current study's aim was to examine whether Failure to Thrive in Toddlers with Lack of Interest in Eating and Food, a subtype of Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder as defined by DSM-5, which has also previously been identified as Infantile Anorexia (IA), was associated with poor cognitive development outcomes during later childhood. The IQs and growth parameter of 30 children (53% female) previously diagnosed and treated for IA at 12 to 42 months of age, were reevaluated at a mean age of 10.0 years (SD = 2.1 years) and compared to 30 matched control children. Children's growth was assessed using Z-scores and their cognitive development was measured using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-4th Edition. None of the growth parameters were significantly related to IQ. Further, IQ scores of children previously diagnosed with IA and control children were not significantly different. However, the education level of children's fathers had a significantly positive effect on IQ. Our study highlights the disjunction between growth parameters and IQ within our sample. Overall, our findings suggest that the primary target of intervention for these children should be the parent-child conflict around the feeding relationship, rather than a focus on the child's weight itself. Finally, our results confirm the relevance to include fathers in the intervention of these children.

Long-term parental distress after pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for nonmalignant diseases.

Survival rates have continued to increase for pediatric hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for nonmalignant diseases. Despite the crucial role of caregivers in this high-intensity treatment, knowledge about long-term parental impact is lacking. This cross-sectional study assessed parental distress and everyday problems in parents of patients 2years and older after pediatric HSCT for a nonmalignant disease using Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P), and compared outcomes to matched Dutch parents of healthy children and Dutch parents of children with a chronic condition (CC). Median follow-up was 5.3years (interquartile range [IQR]: 2.9-8.6). Underlying diseases were inborn errors of immunity (N=30), hemoglobinopathies (N=13), and bone marrow failure (N=27). Mothers of pediatric HSCT recipients (N=70) reported comparable overall distress levels to mothers of healthy children, but experienced more distress related to parenting problems, specifically managing their child's emotions, discussing disease consequences, and fostering independence. Fathers of HSCT recipients (N=45) reported higher overall distress levels and had more emotional distress compared to fathers of healthy children. Overall, parental distress and everyday problems of parents of HSCT recipients are comparable to those of parents of children with CC. However, there is ongoing parental burden, both emotional and in parenting, long-term after HSCT compared to parents of healthy children, and the type of burden differs between mothers and fathers. These results indicate that individualized parental supportive care should not remain restricted to the acute hospitalization phase, but also be actively offered during long-term follow-up after pediatric HSCT.

Life satisfaction trajectories among junior high school students in China: The role of parent–child communication

AbstractA 3‐year follow‐up test (from grades 7 to 9) was administered to 807 junior high school students from two regions in Hunan Province, China, using multilevel analysis to examine trends in junior high school students' life satisfaction, differences by gender and location of life and the effects of father–child/mother–child communication on the development of life satisfaction. The results showed that (1) Chinese junior high school students' life satisfaction showed a decreasing trend from the seventh grade to the ninth grade, and there was a significant decreasing process in the eighth grade; (2) father–child communication and mother–child communication had a significant positive predictive effect on Chinese junior high school students' life satisfaction and (3) father–child communication and mother–child communication had a significant negative predictive effect on the decreasing trend of life satisfaction, in which the effect of mother–child communication was particularly significant.

Impact of a Father–Child, Community-Based Healthy Lifestyle Program: Qualitative Perspectives from the Family Unit

The Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids (HDHK) program was designed to help fathers with BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 to lose weight and positively influence physical activity and dietary behaviors of their children. There is a need to better understand the broader impact of father-focused, healthy lifestyle programs from the perspectives of other family members. This qualitative study explored the impact of a HDHK by gathering insights from the family unit (fathers, mothers/partners and children). Fathers and children who participated in the HDHK dissemination trial from the Maitland local government area (New South Wales, Australia) (n = 33) and all mothers/partners of participating HDHK were invited to take part in this qualitative study. Eleven focus groups were undertaken with 25 fathers (41.9 ± 6.3 years, 32.4 ± 5.1 kg/m2), 15 mothers/partners’ (38.1 ± 6.6 years), and 41 children (51% male, 8.2 ± 2.1 years). Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed by an independent researcher using a standard general inductive approach to qualitative analysis with thematic analysis applied. Three key themes emerged, demonstrating several personal and family program impacts. These included a positive impact on: (i) the father-child relationship, (ii) new family habits (e.g., lifestyle changes within the family unit) and (iii) fathers’ involvement and parenting practices (e.g., increase in fathers’ household responsibilities). Improving the knowledge and skills of fathers and children through evidence-based strategies may be a useful approach to strengthen their relationship, enhance parenting strategies, and optimize health behaviors. Notably, findings showed the changes made by the fathers and children positively impacted the wider family unit.

Concurrent Undernutrition and Overnutrition within Indian Families between 2006 and 2021

BackgroundThe double burden of malnutrition (DBM), characterized by concurrent undernutrition and overnutrition, is a growing global concern. Families share resources and eating behaviors and programs often target households, yet evidence of the DBM at the family level is scarce. ObjectivesThis study examined trends and inequality in the intrahousehold DBM in India between 2006 and 2021. MethodsData were from 3 waves of India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS 2006, 2016, and 2021). We examined 3 types of household member (with children aged <5 y) combinations: mother–child (N = 328,039 across 3 waves), father–child, and parent (mother and father)–child (N = 47,139 for each pair). The DBM was defined as one or more individuals with undernutrition (either wasting or stunting in children or underweight in adults) and one or more overweight individuals within the same household. DBM was examined over time, at national and subnational levels, and by residence and wealth. ResultsNearly all DBM was in the form of an overweight parent and an undernourished weight or stunted child. The prevalence of parent–child DBM increased from 15% in 2006 to 26% in 2021. Father–child pairs experienced the most rapid DBM increase, from 12% in 2006 to 22% in 2021, an 83% increase, driven by increasing overweight among men. In 2021, the DBM was highest in North-Eastern and Southern states, and among relatively rich households from urban areas. The increase in the DBM was faster in rural areas and among poor households compared with that in urban areas and rich households. Urban–rural and rich–poor inequalities in the DBM have decreased over time. ConclusionsThe intrahousehold DBM has increased over time, affecting 1 in 4 households in India in 2021. Family-based interventions that can simultaneously address child underweight and parent overweight are required to address India’s increasing intrahousehold DBM.

Trends in Intergenerational Education Mobility in Bangladesh

When children are able to progress beyond their parents’ education level, that is, when there is upward intergenerational education mobility—they are more likely to have better opportunities and access than their parents in terms of jobs and income. For any nation, it is important to understand the trajectory of intergenerational education mobility and ask: Has it been increasing? In the case of Bangladesh, our study is the first to use nationally representative household survey data to explore the trend of intergenerational education mobility. We compute intergenerational education mobility separately for three different years—2005, 2010 and 2016, and find that intergenerational education mobility has, from 2005 to 2016, significantly decreased in terms of fathers’ education. This is surprising given that the expansion of education has been a target both policy-wise and action-wise—for Bangladesh over the last few decades. The finding in terms of mothers’ education—that intergenerational education mobility has significantly increased from 2005 to 2016—makes more sense given the focus on female education expansion in Bangladesh over the years. Moreover, our results indicate that daughters, in general, have been progressing better compared to sons in terms of intergenerational (father–child) education mobility and that children of fathers with higher education levels progressed better than children of fathers with lower education levels. We suggest policies accordingly and emphasize the need to investigate the reasons behind the father–child education immobility over time in Bangladesh.

The Diagnostic Process for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study of Jordanian Parents' Perspectives.

Eighteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 mothers and six fathers of children with ASD aged 5 to 11 years old. The coding process was based on a thematic analysis method and resulted in the identification of three overlapping themes: dissatisfaction with professionals' abilities to approach parents, an unstructured diagnostic process, and perspectives on diagnosis tools. Our data upheld the idea that parental satisfaction with the diagnostic process is influenced by the duration of the process, the information provided, the support offered, and the communication approach used by professionals. Within the local cultural context, parents were significantly impacted by the societal stigma associated with disability when they sought diagnoses for their children with ASD.

Lower-Income Nonresident Fathers’ Self-Perceptions About Their Parenting Quality and Relationships With Children

Research on fathering has substantially increased but we still know relatively little about whether and how fathers’ own perspectives on their parenting differ across a variety of family situations. We estimate associations between nonresident fathers’ family types and nonresident fathers’ perceptions of the quality of their parenting and their relationships with their children, using data from the Child Support Noncustodial Parent Employment Demonstration program on lower-income nonresident fathers ( n = 5,835) and logistic regressions. High-quality parenting is more likely to be reported by nonresident fathers with multiple-partner fertility and both resident and nonresident children than either those with multiple-partner fertility and only nonresident children or those with single-partner fertility. High-quality relationships with children are more likely to be reported by those with single-partner fertility than those with multiple-partner fertility. These findings suggest the importance of resident children in fathers’ perceptions of their parenting and highlight the difficulties of parenting across multiple households.

Parental Caregiving and Adolescent Attachment as Determinants of Adolescent Self-Improvement: Differences Between Mother– and Father–Child Dyads in Japan

The present study aimed to examine the associations between adolescent attachment styles, parental caregiving styles, and self-improvement in early adolescence. We analyzed data from 385 Japanese mother–adolescent dyads and 201 father–adolescent dyads (mothers’ mean age is 46.48, fathers’ mean age is 48.58, and adolescents’ age ranged from 13 to 15). The results showed that attachment avoidance was negatively associated with adolescent self-improvement in all domains. The negative associations between attachment avoidance for mother and self-improvement in some domains are stronger in mother–daughter dyads than mother–son dyads. Regarding self-improvement in the domain of health, attachment anxiety and caregiving hyperactivation showed an interaction effect in father–adolescent dyads. The findings underscore the differential roles that mother– and father–child relationships play in adolescent development. The results also proposed the importance of examining the interaction between adolescent attachment styles and parental caregiving styles.

Fathers' experiences of caring for children living with cerebral palsy: A qualitative study in a low resourced socioeconomic context, Ghana

BackgroundIn Ghana, little is known about fathers' experiences caring for children with cerebral palsy. PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore a. the caregiving demand and burden on fathers of children with cerebral palsy and b. describe the caregiving consequences and coping strategies of fathers of children with cerebral palsy. Design and methodsThe study utilized an exploratory, descriptive qualitative approach with a sample size of fifteen fathers purposively selected. The study used a semi-structured interview guide to conduct a one-on-one interview with participants. The analysis performed was thematic and content analysis. ResultsThe results revealed complexities of care demand and burden; thus, meeting the child's needs resulted in physical and mental exhaustion, frequent hospital visits, and substantial financial implications for fathers. ConclusionsWe conclude that the family, particularly fathers, need support to embrace the challenging care roles as parents to children with cerebral palsy. It is evident that caring for children is mainly reserved for mothers in the African context. However, the demanding nature of care for a child with a developmental disability requires the involvement of both parents to meet the child's care needs and reduce the caregiver's care burden. Practice implicationsHealth professionals, particularly nurses must initiate and advocate for fathers' active participation in daily childcare. Tailored supportive care for families with children with disabilities in sub-Saharan Africa is required.

Socio-demographic prerequisites of perinatal HIV infection in the Voronezh Region

In order to assess the socio-demographic and behavioral characteristics of HIV-infected pregnant women in the Voronezh region, which increase the risks of perinatal HIV infection, an analysis was carried out for the period 2017–2021. The materials were official statistics and personalized data from the registers and surveillance maps of the Voronezh Regional Clinical Center for AIDS Prevention and Control. There was an increase in positive results (per 1000 tests) during screening examinations of pregnant women, with a stable proportion (34 %) over the past 5 years among those who gave birth to HIV-positive people identified for the first time when registering for pregnancy. In the cohort of HIV-infected women, an accumulation of persons with parenteral infection, escaping from medical supervision due to behavioral characteristics, was revealed. It was found that among the reasons why women are not registered for pregnancy, there is a high proportion of officially unemployed (72.5 %), insufficient level of education and awareness about HIV. Compared with the general population of pregnant women in the region, the proportion of late registration for pregnancy among HIV-infected pregnant women is 17 times higher, and the proportion of births among women who are not registered for pregnancy is 8,2 times higher. The detection of HIV in women at a late stage or after childbirth is also caused by the material benefits of the status of a single mother (63.1 % are not married), which additionally leads to the absence of an HIV examination of the child's father. With a statistically small number of births in HIV-infected women in the region, these reasons led to the implementation of vertical HIV transmission in 5.9 % of newborns in 2021

The impact of paternal mental illness on child development: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Whilst there is growing evidence highlighting the importance of paternal mental illness (PMI) on child development, this relationship still remains under-studied and often over-looked. Considering the increasingly active role of fathers in their children's upbringing, a comprehensive overview of the impact of PMI on child development is overdue. This study aimed to combine and synthesise currently available evidence on the relationship between PMI and multiple domains of child development. Narrative synthesis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the relationship between PMI and child development (mental health and social, emotional, language, cognitive or adaptive behaviour), published between 1980 to December 2021, was conducted in line with PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Review quality was assessed based on AMSTAR-2 criteria and respective study confidence was interpreted in line with GRADE scoring. All relevant meta-analytic effect sizes were converted to odds ratios (OR) and grouped using a random effects model. Grouped meta-analyses saw PMI to have a significant, detrimental effect on all studied domains of child development [OR: 1.54; 95% CI (1.36-1.74)]. Subgroup analyses saw PMI affecting both internalising [OR: 1.62; 95% CI (1.27-2.08)] and externalising [OR: 1.63; 95% CI (1.28-2.08)] child behaviours to a similar extent. However, included reviews were of poor methodological quality, demonstrating either low or critically low confidence. These results show a consistent and influential effect of PMI on child development. The relationship between fathers' mental illness and child development warrants further investigation, as current research is limited in scope, particularly regarding cognitive domains of child development and non-affective PMI diagnoses.

The Effect of Paternal Economic Hardship on Nonresident Father Involvement and Co-parenting Among Racially/Ethnically Diverse Fathers

The present study utilized structural equation modeling with secondary Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study data ( N = 1,267) to examine the relations between paternal economic hardship, nonresident father involvement, and co-parenting. Findings showed that paternal economic hardship (Year 5) was associated with higher child-reported father–child closeness ( p &lt; .05), but lower father-reported co-parenting ( p &lt; .05), at Year 9. Higher mother-reported co-parenting (Year 9) was associated with increased mother-reported father involvement ( p &lt; .001) at Year 9. Findings underscore the importance of including multiple perspectives, and practical implications include the need for practitioners to foster healthy co-parenting relationships to concurrently increase nonresident father involvement among racially/ethnically diverse and low-income fathers.

Talk outside the box: Parents’ decontextualized language during preschool years relates to child numeracy and literacy skills in middle childhood

Children’s literacy and numeracy skills are fundamental for early academic performance and later academic success, mental health, and employment prospects in adulthood. Given that parents play a key role in promoting child development, identifying early parenting behaviors that predict literacy and numeracy skills is a research imperative. Emerging evidence suggests that parental use of decontextualized language (DL)—talk that requires cognitive abstraction and transcends the here and now—predicts children’s literacy skills. However, its relation to numeracy remains underexplored. Accordingly, the current study examined how DL during interaction with children in infancy (T1) and preschool years (T2) relates to child literacy and numeracy in middle childhood (T3). Participants were 26 Irish mother–father–child triads (16 female children). At T1 and T2, participants engaged in 5-min interactions that were coded for DL. At T3, child literacy and numeracy were assessed using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children–Fourth Edition and teacher report of child scores on national standardized tests. Controlling for child age and contextualized utterances, child reading in middle childhood was negatively related to maternal and child DL in infancy but was positively related to DL during preschool years, suggesting that the benefits of DL may become apparent later in development. Mothers’, fathers’, and children’s DL during preschool years was also positively linked with child numeracy in middle childhood. Thus, embedding DL in conversation with children may have positive domain-specific and cross-domain effects on children’s literacy and numeracy performance. Findings provide incentive for future research to examine relations between DL and children’s school performance across a wider range of developmental domains.

Household adult smoking behaviors and prevalence of asthma in Greek schoolchildren: five surveys during 1998-2018.

Environmental tobacco smoke exposure is a well-recognized risk factor for asthma development and poor asthma control in children. However, the relationship between changes in parental smoking habits over time and the prevalence of childhood asthma remains largely unknown. Our objective was to investigate the trends of parental smoking behaviors in relation to childhood wheeze/asthma rates over a 20-year period. A standardized questionnaire on household overall smoking and household indoor tobacco smoking (HITS) habits was distributed to 8-9-years-old school children in the context of five cross-sectional surveys conducted in 1998 (n=3,076), 2003 (n=2,725), 2008 (n=2,688), 2013 (n=2,554) and 2018 (n=2,648). The parental overall smoking and HITS rates have substantially decreased during the study period (p-for-trend<0.001). However, while HITS declined among the fathers of asthmatic and non-asthmatic children as well as among the mothers of non-asthmatic ones (p-for-trend<0.001), it remained unchanged in the case of the mothers of asthmatic participants (p-for-trend 0.283). The mothers of asthmatic children consistently reported more HITS than those of non-asthmatic participants, while prevalence changes of current wheeze/asthma over the surveillance period were in complete agreement with changes in maternal HITS (cross-correlation coefficient 0.918 at zero-year lag) but not with paternal smoking behaviors. Overall and indoor smoking rates of school children's adult family members declined substantially during the 1998-2018 period in Greece. However, no such trend was noted among mothers of asthmatic children, while temporal changes in maternal indoor smoking rates occurred in parallel with those of childhood asthma prevalence.

The Journey Full of Emotions: Parents’ Experiences in Raising Children with Cerebral Palsy

Raising a child with cerebral palsy (CP) is a formidable challenge for parents that can lead to tension and reality denial. This qualitative study aims to explore the parenting experience and the acceptance process of parents towards children with CP. This study used a qualitative design with semi-structured in-depth interviews. Three mothers and two fathers of children with CP were involved as interviewees. Data analysis was carried out using deductive thematic analysis technique. Common themes such as post-diagnosis denial; a long and emotional acceptance process; spouse's involvement in parenting; spiritual implication; the need for community support, are experienced by parents. Parental acceptance towards a child with CP is a long, complex, and emotional process. In conclusion, families that are able to achieve acceptance more easily adapting to family changes and dealing with stress. The findings of this study became an important milestone for the development of studies in the fields of family, disability, and social work.

Infant and preschool attachment, continuity and relationship to caregiving sensitivity: findings from a new population-based Australian cohort.

Here, we report new prevalence and temporal stability data for child attachment and parental caregiving behaviour, from infancy (1 year) to preschool (4 years). Attachment (SSP) and caregiving data (MBQS) were from observations of parents and their infants and preschoolers, who represent the third generation of participants within an Australian longitudinal cohort. At 1 year (n = 314 dyads) and at 4 years (n = 368 dyads), proportions assessed secure were 59% and 71%, respectively. Proportions assessed avoidant were 15% and 11%; ambivalent 9% and 6%, and disorganised 17% and 12%, at 1 and 4 years. Continuity of attachment pattern was highest for the infant secure group. Of dyads initially classified disorganised in infancy, 36% remained so at the preschool assessment. Attachment and caregiving continuities across the infancy-preschool period were highest for the stable secure attachment group and lowest for the stable insecure attachment group. Loss of secure attachment to mother by age 4 years correlated with decreased maternal caregiving sensitivity, and acquisition of secure status by age 4 was associated with increased maternal sensitivity. We found no difference in caregiving sensitivity scores for mothers and fathers for female and male preschool children. The contemporary infant and preschool attachment proportions we report here closely mirror the patterns of those reported in prior decades, with an inclination towards secure base relationships. Our findings alert practitioners anew to the responsiveness of early attachment status to change in caregiving responsiveness and support ongoing investment in early identification of disorganised attachment.

Determination of Custody Rights (Hadhanah) for Children Who Are Not Yet Mumayiz to the Father

Background. One of the legal consequences of the breakdown of marriage due to divorce is the custody of children, which in fiqh literature is called Hadhanah. Purpose. The purpose of this paper is to: (a) provide information on the distribution of hadhanah rights to fathers for children who are not yet Mumayiz due to divorce. Method. The research method used in this research is a qualitative method with the type of normative juridical research based on primary and secondary legal materials, namely research that refers to the norms contained in the legislation. Hadhanah is a right that must be fulfilled by adults who are required to take care of the needs of a child including providing education and support to children who are not old enough. Results. The results of this study indicate that hadhanah in Islamic law prioritizes the best interests of the child. This is in accordance with the basic principles of Islamic law (found in the Qur'an and Hadith), which state that children have inherent rights in relation to both parents. Likewise, it is used in positive law in Indonesia. Parental authority over children after divorce according to the provisions of the two laws (Islamic Law and Indonesian Positive Law) is in line. Both divorced parents must continue to fulfill their children's hadhanah in accordance with the rights of children in the Child Protection Law, namely, the rights to life, growth, protection and participation. Conclusion. Therefore, when a divorce occurs, it will have certain legal consequences, especially the issue of Hadhanah (child custody). Hadhanah itself in fiqh terms is used two words but intended for the same purpose, namely Kafalah and Hadhanah. what is meant by Hadhanah or Kafalah in a simple sense is 'Maintenance or 'Care.

Strong Father-Child Relationships and Other Positive Childhood Experiences, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Sexual Risk Factors for HIV among Young Adults Aged 19-24 Years, Namibia, 2019: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Using cross-sectional data from the 2019 Namibia Violence Against Children and Youth Survey and sex-stratified multivariable models, we assessed the associations between four different positive childhood experiences (PCEs) and having ≥3 adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including ≥3 ACE-PCE interaction terms, and seven sexual risk factors for HIV acquisition among young adults aged 19-24 years. One PCE, having a strong father-child relationship, was inversely associated with two risk factors among women (lifetime transactional sex (OR, 0.4; 95% CI, 0.2-0.7) and recent age-disparate sexual relationships (OR, 0.3; 95% CI, 0.2-0.5)), and significantly interacted with having ≥3 ACEs for three risk factors among women (not knowing a partner's HIV status, infrequently using condoms, and ever having an STI) and one among men (having multiple sexual partners in the past year). The other PCEs were significantly associated with ≤1 HIV risk factor and had no significant interaction terms. Strong father-child relationships may reduce HIV acquisition risk and mitigate the effect of childhood adversity on HIV risk among young adults in Namibia.