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Fathers and partners in the Life Study: a review

Researchers: Kathleen Kiernan
Funder: Nuffield Foundation
Duration: January 2016 to April 2016

Background

In recognition of the importance of fathers to children’s development and well-being the Nuffield Foundation and the ESRC co-funded preparatory and pilot work on how to recruit and retain fathers and partners in the new British birth cohort LIFE STUDY. This was in readiness for collecting data that would provide researchers with information on the role of fathers in children’s well-being and development. Uniquely it was to include non-resident fathers, which is a neglected component in family research.

Aims

This project will provide a comprehensive overview of the work carried out in relation to fathers both resident and non-resident in and for Life Study. The report will map and describe the project from its inception in June 2013 to its endpoint in January 2016 when Life Study closed.

It will describe what was envisaged in the two components of Life Study:

• the Pregnancy Component (area based studies starting in pregnancy)
• the Birth component - a nationally representative study of families with 6 month old children.

It will cover the planned programme up to when the children were aged 12 months, including questionnaire development and interview documentation and pilot work. 

Additionally, It will draw out the lessons learnt from this project and discuss how future cohort studies might meet the challenges of collecting data on fathers, in particular non-resident fathers.

Reports

Executive Summary: Fathers and Partners in Life Study - Groundwork,  Outcomes and Lessons, Executive summary: Fathers and Partners in Life Study (PDF , 471kb) by  Professor Kathleen Kiernan. University of York.

Fathers and Partners in Life Study: Groundwork, Outcomes and Lessons, KKFathers and Partners in LS Report to NF 20816 (1) (PDF , 1,202kb)  by Professor Kathleen Kiernan, University of York.

Fathers and Partners in National and International Birth Cohort Studies, Cohort Studies Final 0816 (PDF , 922kb) by Professor Kathleen Kiernan, University of York.

Please contact kathleen.kiernan@york.ac.uk for more information

Associated Research   

Life Study

Data about fathers' involvement in the lives of their children has long been insufficient.

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