Explaining the long reach of fathers' prenatal involvement on later paternal engagement

Abstract

The present study examined the association between unmarried fathers' prenatal involvement and fathers' engagement later in the child's life. The study sample consisted of 1,686 fathers from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Findings using multiple regressions revealed that fathers' prenatal involvement is significantly and positively associated with levels of fathers' engagement at Years 1 and 3. This association was partially explained by fathers' transitions from unemployment to employment and to a greater extent by fathers' transitions from nonresidential to residential relationships with the child's mother. © National Council on Family Relations, 2008.