Assessing the Impact of Paternal Involvement on Ra

Authors: Amina P Alio Alfred K Mbah Jennifer L Kornosky Deanna Wathington Phillip J Marty Hamisu M Salihu

Publish Date: 2010/05/29

Volume: 36, Issue: 1, Pages: 63-68

PDF Link

Abstract

We sought to assess the contribution of paternal involvement to racial disparities in infant mortality Using vital records data from singleton births in Florida between 1998 and 2005 we generated odds ratios OR 95 confidence intervals CI and preventative fractions to assess the association between paternal involvement and infant mortality Paternal involvement status was based on presence/absence of paternal first and/or last name on the birth certificate Disparities in infant mortality were observed between and within racial/ethnic subpopulations When compared to Hispanic NHwhite women with involved fathers NHblack women with involved fathers had a twofold increased risk of infant mortality whereas infants born to black women with absent fathers had a sevenfold increased risk of infant mortality Elevated risks of infant mortality were also observed for Hispanic infants with absent fathers OR = 333 95CI = 266–417 About 65–75 of excess mortality could be prevented with increased paternal involvement Paternal absence widens the blackwhite gap in infant mortality almost fourfold Intervention programs to improve perinatal paternal involvement may decrease the burden of absent fatherassociated infant mortality

Keywords: