Linkages between child well -being and nonresident fathers' involvement: A cultural comparison of nonintact African -American, Anglo, and Latino families

Studies of nonresident fathers' involvement and child well-being have received much attention in recent decades. Research on cultural influences on the linkages between child well-being and nonresident fathers' involvement, however, is rare. Guided by a cultural perspective, this study investigates the relationships between both structural factors and culture contexts on the multidimensionality of nonresident fathers' involvement among five specific domains of child well-being (i.e., children's psychological and emotional well-being, children's academic outcomes, children's behavior, children's health, and children's involvement in social activities). Using both the NSAF and the NSFH, this study tests the hypothesis that the influences of nonresident fathers' involvement on child well-being vary by ethnicity.;Nested regression analyses show that family context (i.e., nonresident fathers' characteristics, mothers' characteristics, children's characteristics, and resident family characteristics) influences children's well-being. In addition, nonresident fathers' involvement---as measured both through contact with children and through the payment of child support---positively influences all five dimensions of children's well-being.;Most importantly, the influence of family cultural contexts accounts for substantial variations in children's well-being. Both African American and Latino children exhibit higher levels of psychological and emotional well-being than Anglo children; and, toddlers reared in Anglo families are read to with greater frequency than either African American or Latino children. The highest level of problem behaviors among adolescents is reported for Latino children, while the highest level of problem behaviors among teenagers is reported for African American children. African American and Latino children in this study have worse health than Anglo children; and, African American children are more involved than Anglo children in social activities, while Latino children are less involved than Anglo children in social activities. This study confirms that ethnic nonresident fathers' involvement positively influences children's development of social skills. This study contributes to family literature by stressing the importance of cultural forces in addition to structural factors in understanding the salience of nonresident fathers in families and children's lives.