DOCUMENT RESUME ED 436 297 PS 028 152 TITLE Nurturing Fatherhood: Improving Data and Research on Male Fertility, Family Formation and Fatherhood. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, 1998. INSTITUTION Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics, Washington, DC. SPONS AGENCY Ford Foundation, New York, NY.; Kaiser Foundation, Oakland, CA.; Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore, MD. PUB DATE 1998-06-00 NOTE 456p. PUB TYPE Collected Works - General (020) Information Analyses (070) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC19 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Birth; Child Rearing; Contraception; Data Collection; Demography; Family (Sociological Unit); *Fathers; Literature Reviews; *Males; *Parent Child Relationship; Pregnancy; Public Policy; Research Design; *Research Methodology; *Research Needs; Research Opportunities; Research Utilization; Sexuality; Social Influences; Social Values; State of the Art Reviews IDENTIFIERS *Family Formation; *Fertility; Fertility Values; Relationship Termination ABSTRACT Reflecting a convergence of public policy and scientific interest in the role of fathers in families, and recognizing the crucial need to examine the demographic and social processes bringing men into fathering roles and influencing their role enactment, this report summarizes presentations and recommendations of the Conference on Fathering and Male Fertility, held in March 1997. The report presents information on the state of data collection and research on male fertility, family formation, and fatherhood, based on a multi-year analysis by the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics. Chapter 1 provides background information, summarizes findings, and presents data collection and research problems. Chapter 2 summarizes presentations, discussions, and recommendations from the March Conference on Fathering and Male Fertility: Improving Data and Research. Chapter 3 examines determinants and consequences of male fertility and family formation. Chapter 4 identifies the conceptual, data, and policy issues that must be addressed to understand social fatherhood and paternal involvement. Chapter 5 reviews the methodological issues and changes that must be addressed if data and research are to be improved. Chapter 6 summarizes opportunities to improve federal data collection and research that have been identified for the Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics to consider, and provides information on the steps being taken by Forum member agencies to turn opportunities into realities. (The report's six appendices provide information supporting each of the chapters; five of the supporting appendices contain references.) (KB) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics1998 Nurturing Fatherhood: Improving Data and ResearchonMale Fertility, 1, Family Formation and Fatherhood ,e7 4. U S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION woe or Edo:1=mi Flaseuen and newness EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) This doorman has been reproduced as mewed from the person or organization onginahng CI Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions stated in this dominion: do not necessary represent officsal OERI position or policy bti Adeir. 0 I II BESTCOPYAVA1L4 _ NURTURING FATHERHOOD: Improving Data and Researchon Male Fertility, Family Formation and Fatherhood June, 1998 Federal Interagency Forumon Child and Family Statistics The Federal Interagency Forum on Child and Family Statistics was founded in 1994. Executive Orderno. 13045 formally established it in April 1997, to foster coordination and collaboration in the collection and reporting of Federal data on children and families. Members of the Forum as of Spring 1998 are listed below. Department of Agriculture Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning Food and Nutrition Service and Evaluation Office of Analysis and Evaluation Patricia Ruggles Alberta C. Frost Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Director Services Policy Department of Commerce Department of Housing and Urban Bureau of the Census Development Nancy Gordon Office of Policy Development and Research Associate Director for Paul Leonard Demographic Programs Acting Assistant Secretary Department of Defense Department of Justice Office of Undersecretary of Defense Bureau of Justice Statistics Carolyn H. Becraft Jan Chaiken Deputy Assitant Secretary of Defense Director Department of Education National Institute of Jtistice National Center for Education Statistics Sally T. Hillsman Pascal D. Forgione, Jr. Deputy Director Commissioner Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Department of Health and Human Services Prevention Administration for Children and Families Shay Bilchik Olivia Golden Administrator Assistant Secretary for Children and Families Department of Labor Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Bureau of Labor Statistics Lisa Simpson Katharine Abraham Deputy Administrator Commissioner Maternal and Child Health Bureau Women's Bureau Audrey Nora Ida Castro Director Acting Director National Center for Health Statistics National Science Foundation Edward Sondik Science Resources Studies Division Director Jeanne E. Griffith Director National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Office of Management and Budget Duane Alexander Statistical Policy Office Director Katherine K. Wallman Chief Statistician 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Foreword Preface and Acknowledgments iii Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Chapter 2: Summary of the Findings and Recommendations of the Conference on Fathering and Male Fertility: Improving Data and Research...13 Chapter 3: Male Fertility and Family Formation: Research and Data Needson The Pathways to Fatherhood 45 Chapter 4: Social Fatherhood And Paternal Involvement: Conceptual, Data, and Policymaking Issues 99 Chapter 5: Methodological Issues in Improving Data on Fathers 175 Chapter 6: Opportunities to Improve Data and Research on Fatherhood 213 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: Supporting Material for Chapter 1 Conference Agenda and Working Group Members 227 APPENDIX B:Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Integrating Theoretical Perspectives on Gender, Union Formation and Fertility 231 APPENDIX C: Supporting Material for Chapter 3 The Meaning of Fatherhood for Men 249 APPENDIX D: Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Fertility Motivation, Decision Making, and Intention to Engage in Sex, Contraception, Pregnancy, Abortion and Birth 277 APPENDIX E: Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Data and Research Needs Concerning Union Formation and Dissolution ..295 APPENDIX F: Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Male Fertility in Relation to Union Formation And Dissolution 327 5 APPENDIX G: Supporting Material for Chapter 3 The Biological And Health Aspects of Male Fertility: Implications For Use of Reproductive Health Care Services 365 APPENDIX H:Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Data Needs Regarding Male Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Services 377 APPENDIX I:Supporting Material for Chapter 3 Indicators of Male Fertility, Family Formation, and Sexual Behavior 383 APPENDIX J:Supporting Material for Chapter 4 Contructs Used in Data Collection 399 APPENDIX K:Supporting Material for Chapter 5 Nonresident Fathers: What We Know and What's Left to Learn? 431 APPENDIX L:Supporting Material for Chapter 5 New Directions for Exploring Fathers'Attachment to Households 445 APPENDIX M:Supporting Material for Chapter 6 Contacts for this Report 453 THE VICE PRESIDENT WASHINGTON May, 1998 I am pleased to extend my congratulations to the Federal Interagency Forumon Child and Family Statistics on the publication of NURTURING FATHERHOOD: Improving Data and Research on Male Fertility, Family Formation and Fatherhood. This report to the policy, information collection and research communities will have a lasting influenceon efforts to understand and foster fathers' active participation in the lives of their children. In 1994, when I led "Family Re-Union 3: The Role of Men in Children's Lives" in Nashville, Tennessee, little did I realize the great outpouring of time, talent and commitment that soon would be dedicated to the issue of fatherhood. Program practitioners, community leaders, local, state and federal policy makers, and the public and private research community have taken very seriously research findings that the well-being of children is enhanced by the presence of caring and involved fathers and that father absence can have lasting detrimental effectson children's lives. The Federal Interagency Forum has provided outstanding leadership in developinga public-private partnership to implement President Clinton's request that federal agencies domore to support the role of fathers in families and specifically that fathers be incorporated in government-initiated research regarding children and their families. The publication of NURTURING FATHERHOOD reflects the successful completion of the Forum's efforts to understand what we know through existing research on fathers and families. It is also the beginning of new opportunities to significantly increase our knowledge about fatherhood and the relationship of fertility and family formation to the way men experience fathering. I believe that all children can benefit from the involved presence of a father in their lives. I commend the member agencies of the Forum, the public and private research community and the public and private fenders who have made such an outstanding contribution toour understanding of what we know about