Child Healthcare Decision-Making: Examining "Conjointness" in Paternal Identities Among Residential and Non-Residential Fathers

Abstract

This study examines the paternal identity conjointness of seventeen residential and fourteen non-residential fathers within five, normative healthcare decisions. Using consensual qualitative research (CQR) methodology to investigate fathers' usage of parenting voice (I or We), we examined how paternal identity conjointness was similar and different between residential and non-residential fathers in each healthcare decision. Results revealed two new paternal identities, "self-as-detached" and "mixed." Residential fathers expressed a self-as-co-parental identity in three of the five healthcare decisions, but shifted to a self-as-solo identity when deciding if their child would be circumcised. Non-residential fathers constructed a self-as-co-parental identity in two healthcare decisions while also expressing a self-as-detached identity and mixed identity in other healthcare decisions. Contextual and relational influences on paternal identity conjointness are identified. Implications of our findings for future research and practice are discussed.

Fathers' Involvement in Child Health Care: Associations with Prenatal Involvement, Parents' Beliefs, and Maternal Gatekeeping

“…In fact, the strength of the association between maternal encouragement and fathers' perceptions of their influence in child health-related decision making was comparable to the strength of the association between fathers' prenatal involvement and their perceptions of their influence. Thus, consistent with Isacco and Garfield (2010), a high-quality coparenting relationship with the child's mother may play an important role in fathers' sense that their opinions and desires regarding their child's health care matter.…”

“…In their study of urban fathers' involvement in their children's health care, Moore and Kotelchuck () reported that fathers endorsed a number of reasons for not attending doctors' visits, including the belief that it was the mother's responsibility, work schedule conflicts, or because they expressed a lack of confidence in their own parenting skills, although few of these barriers were associated with fathers' actual attendance at visits. In a qualitative study of resident and nonresident fathers, Isacco and Garfield () reported that residential fathers who were romantically involved with their child's mother were more likely to discuss health‐care decision making for their child as a process that both parents participated in. Although these studies provided valuable insight into factors that may affect father involvement in child health care, further research is needed.…”

“…Fathers' involvement in their child's health and health care has been identified by health professionals and scholars alike as a key direction for empirical research (Coleman & Garfield, ; Garfield & Isacco, ). Although greater father involvement in multiple aspects of children's lives is associated with better social, emotional, and physical health for children (Carr & Springer, ), relatively little research has explored fathers' involvement in child health care, and especially factors that may influence the extent of fathers' involvement (Isacco & Garfield, ). However, when new fathers are more involved in child health care, children experience not only better health but also more positive father–child relationships (Levy‐Shiff, Hoffman, Mogilner, Levinger, & Mogilner, ).…”

Protecting, providing, and participating: fathers' roles during their child's unplanned hospital stay, an ethnographic study

“…), in addition to neonatal and paediatric intensive care (Board ). Whilst research concerning fathers has increased, Isacco and Garfield () claim that healthcare research with fathers has focused on severe and atypical situations. Mothers' and fathers' experiences have been compared in relation to long‐term illness (for example Hobson & Noyes ) and planned surgery (Tourigny et al .…”

“…In recent years, fathers' experiences in relation to childhood long-term illness have been investigated, including diabetes (Sullivan-Bolyai et al 2006), cancer (McGrath & Chesler 2004), and kidney disease , in addition to neonatal and paediatric intensive care (Board 2004). Whilst research concerning fathers has increased, Isacco and Garfield (2010) claim that healthcare research with fathers has focused on severe and atypical situations. Mothers' and fathers' experiences have been compared in relation to long-term illness (for example Hobson & Noyes 2011) and planned surgery (Tourigny et al 2004), but little research has addressed fathers in short stay acute inpatient care.…”