Objectives Fathering is known to foster child development and health, yet evidence on Hispanic immigrant fathers’ involvement with their young children is sparse. This study assessed disparities in pregnancy intendedness and father involvement with children ages 0–4 among Hispanic immigrant co-resident fathers versus two reference groups: US-born Hispanic and US-born White fathers. We hypothesized that differentials in involvement were associated with socioeconomic and cultural factors. Methods Using 2011–2013 data from the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 598), we performed bivariate, logistic and linear regression analyses to assess disparities in pregnancy intendedness and five father involvement outcomes (physical care, warmth, outings, reading and discipline). The models controlled for socio-economic, structural, health and cultural covariates. Results Pregnancy intendedness did not differ significantly between Hispanic immigrant fathers and the two reference groups. Compared with US-born Hispanics, unadjusted models showed that immigrant fathers were less likely to engage in physical care, warmth and reading, (p ≤ 0.05) though the differences were attenuated when controlling for covariates. Hispanic immigrant fathers were less likely than US-born White fathers to engage in each of the father involvement outcomes (p ≤ 0.05), with the disparity in reading to their child persisting even after controlling for all covariates. Conclusions for Practice We found marked socio-economic and cultural differences between Hispanic immigrant and US-born Hispanic and White fathers which contribute to disparities in father involvement with their young children. Hispanic immigrant status is an important determinant of involved fathering and should be taken into account when planning public health policies and programs. © 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.

Immigrant Hispanic Pregnancy intendedness Father involvement

Caucasian human statistics and numerical data Father-Child Relations ethnology Fathers Hispanic Americans United States father child relation Humans migrant psychology Hispanic Infant, Newborn male Emigrants and Immigrants female preschool child Infant Child, Preschool Child Rearing newborn pregnancy Parenting father adult European Continental Ancestry Group child parent relation