title: A life history theory of father absence and menarche: a meta-analysis.
abstract: Is the absence of biological fathers related to their daughters' earlier age at menarche? Drawing on evolutionary psychology and life history theory, prior research has suggested such a relationship (Belsky, Steinberg, and Draper, 1991; Draper and Harpending, 1982; Ellis, 2004). Although qualitative reviews have shown narrative support for this relationship (Allison and Hyde, 2013; Ellis, 2004; Kim, Smith, and Palermiti, 1997; Susman and Dorn, 2009), no quantitative review exists to provide empirical support for this relationship or to explain mixed results. Thus, we conducted a random-effects meta-analysis of correlations (Card, 2012) on father absence and daughter menarcheal age (k=33; N=70,403). The weighted mean correlation was .14, 95% CI [.09, .19], suggesting that father absence was significantly related to earlier menarche; effect sizes were heterogeneous. Egger's regression (Egger, Smith, Schneider, and Minder, 1997) showed no evidence of publication bias (file-drawer effect; r=.34, p=.052). Outcome measure differences (menarcheal age vs. menarcheal age embedded in a multi-item pubertal timing scale) did not moderate effect sizes. Study year effects (Schooler, 2011) were also non-significant. Our findings support one aspect of the life history model and provide groundwork for subsequent examination of other pathways in the model.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Webster
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Julia A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Graber
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Amanda N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Gesselman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Crosier
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Tatiana Orozco
authors.initials: TO
authors.lastname: Schember
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D005220:Fathers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008572:Menarche / Q000502:physiology*; D009679:Nuclear Family