title: Fathers' depression related to positive and negative parenting behaviors with 1-year-old children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the associations between depression in fathers of 1-year-old children and specific positive and negative parenting behaviors discussed by pediatric providers at well-child visits.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a cross-sectional secondary analysis by using interview data from 1746 fathers of 1-year-old children in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. Positive parenting behaviors included fathers' reports of playing games, singing songs, and reading stories to their children ≥ 3 days in a typical week. Negative parenting behavior included fathers' reports of spanking their 1-year-old children in the previous month. Depression was assessed by using the World Health Organization Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short Form. Weighted bivariate and multivariate analyses of parenting behaviors were performed while controlling for demographics and paternal substance abuse.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Overall, 7% of fathers had depression. In bivariate analyses, depressed fathers were more likely than nondepressed fathers to report spanking their 1-year-old children in the previous month (41% compared with 13%; P < .01). In multivariate analyses, depressed fathers were less likely to report reading to their children ≥ 3 days in a typical week (adjusted odds ratio: 0.38 [95% confidence interval: 0.15-0.98]) and much more likely to report spanking (adjusted odds ratio: 3.92 [95% confidence interval: 1.23-12.5]). Seventy-seven percent of depressed fathers reported talking to their children's doctor in the previous year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paternal depression is associated with parenting behaviors relevant to well-child visits. Pediatric providers should consider screening fathers for depression, discussing specific parenting behaviors (eg, reading to children and appropriate discipline), and referring for treatment if appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Child Health and Evaluation Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. roydavis@umich.edu
authors.forename: R Neal
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Matthew M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Gary L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Freed
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002668:Child Rearing; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States