(UN)Intended Fatherhood and Paternal Involvement

Femke Hilverda , Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management
Clair Enthoven, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Background: Unintended parenthood is very common. Some families who experienced an unintended pregnancy may face more family stress, in the absence of paternal involvement, particularly. While the benefits of paternal involvement to families and society are significant, little research in European countries has been focused on unintended parenthood and fathers specifically. Aim: This research taps into this gap by examining the difference in paternal involvement between men who unintendedly and intendedly become fathers. Moreover, we examine possible factors that might explain why some men are more successful in taking up their role as father compared to others. Methods: A quantitative study is performed using data from Generation R. The Generation R study is a multi-ethnic population-based prospective cohort from fetal life onwards. N=9778 pregnant women, with a delivery date between April 2002 and January 2006, and N=6347 partners residing in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, participated in the study. Data at the child age of 6 months and 3 years are used. The study sample is about 4000 families at both measurements. Of these about 20% of the pregnancies were unplanned. Expected results: We are currently preparing the dataset for analysis. We will test the main hypothesis Men who unintendedly become fathers are less involved than men who intendedly become fathers. In addition, we will examine possible moderating factors: relationship with the mother of the child, age, migration background, mental health status, financial situation and job, and child sex. Keywords: Paternal involvement, fathers, unplanned pregnancy

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 Presented in Session 89. Childcare