title: Does paternal mental health in pregnancy predict physically aggressive behavior in children?
abstract: The aim was to study the association between paternal mental health and physically aggressive behavior in children. This study is based on 19,580 father-child dyads from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Fathers' mental health was assessed by self-report (Symptom Checklist-5, SCL-5) in week 17 or 18 of gestation. Children's behavior (hitting others) was obtained by mothers' reports. A multinomial logistic regression model was performed. Expectant fathers' high level of psychological distress was found to be a significant risk factor only for girls hitting, adjusted OR = 1.46 (1.01-2.12), p = 0.043, but not for boys. High levels of mental distress in fathers predict their daughters' hitting at 5 years of age.
authors.affiliation: Helse Fonna HF, Haugesund, Norway, anne.lise.kvalevaag@helse-fonna.no.
authors.forename: Anne Lise
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Kvalevaag
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ramchandani
authors.forename: Oddbjørn
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hove
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eberhard-Gran
authors.forename: Jörg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Assmus
authors.forename: Jurg
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Assmus
authors.forename: Odd E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Havik
authors.forename: Odd E
authors.initials: OE
authors.lastname: Haavik
authors.forename: Børge
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sivertsen
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Biringer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D002652:Child Behavior; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005219:Father-Child Relations; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult