Father Involvement and Father–Child Relationship Quality: An Intergenerational Perspective

Abstract

SYNOPSIS Objective The present study looks at predictors that may be associated with father-child relationship quality and whether relationship quality appears to be transmitted across generations. Design This study includes 2,970 U.S. families who participated in the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study. Structural equation modeling was used to assess associations between fathers’ relationship with paternal grandfathers (PGF) during their own childhood and when their own children are 1 year old, father involvement at age 1, and child reports of father-child relationship quality at age 9. Results PGF involvement with fathers during childhood was positively associated with the father-PGF relationship at child age 1, which in turn was associated with greater father involvement at age 1. More father involvement at age 1 was associated with child reports of better father-child relationships at age 9. The pathways from PGF involvement during fathers’ childhood and father-PGF relationships at age 1 to father-child relationship quality at age 9 were fully mediated by father involvement at age 1. Conclusions Patterns of father involvement and the quality of father-child relationships tend to be passed down across generations. To ensure active, positive father involvement and its associated benefits for children, parenting interventions should focus promoting positive fathering behaviors to promote positive relationships with children in their own and future generations.

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