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The role of fathers in toddlers' unintentional injury risk
David C Schwebel1, Carl M Brezausek
1Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA. schwebel@uab.edu
Insights
Fathers
Area of Science:
- Child development
- Pediatric injury prevention
- Family studies
Background:
- Maternal parenting and supervision are known to reduce children's unintentional injury risk.
- Limited research has explored the specific role of fathers in preventing unintentional injuries in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of fathers in protecting children from unintentional injury.
- To identify paternal and maternal factors associated with children's unintentional injury risk.
Main Methods:
- A prospective longitudinal study tracked 181 toddlers from 6 to 36 months of age.
- Predictor variables included child characteristics, parental individual differences, and parenting factors.
Main Results:
- Fathers' reported family employment gains were the strongest predictor of children's unintentional injury risk.
- Other paternal and maternal factors showed modest associations with injury risk.
Conclusions:
- Findings highlight the importance of considering fathers' roles in child injury prevention.
- Further research is needed to understand paternal influences on child safety.
Objectives:
Previous work suggests that maternal parenting and supervision reduces risk for children's unintentional injuries, but very little research has examined the role of fathers in children's unintentional injury risk. The role of fathers in protecting children from unintentional injury was considered.
Methods:
A prospective longitudinal design predicted injury risk in 181 toddlers from the ages of 6 to 36 months. Predictor variables included child gender and temperament, individual difference factors of the mother and father, and parenting factors of the mother and father.
Results:
Hierarchical regression models suggested that fathers' report of gains to the family from their employment was the strongest predictor of risk of children's unintentional injury. Several other paternal and maternal factors were also modestly related to injury risk.
Conclusions:
Data indicate the need to consider the role of fathers in protecting children from unintentional injuries.
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