@article{ref1,
title="A qualitative study of the meaning of fatherhood among young urban fathers",
journal="Public health nursing",
year="2010",
author="Lemay, Celeste A. and Cashman, Suzanne B. and Elfenbein, Dianne S. and Felice, Marianne E.",
volume="27",
number="3",
pages="221-231",
abstract="Objective: To explore the beliefs, attitudes, and needs young men have regarding their role as a father. Design and Sample: Exploratory, descriptive, qualitative design. Young fathers/young expectant fathers were recruited from service sites within a city in Massachusetts. Men were considered young fathers/young expectant fathers if they were or would be <20 years old at the birth of a first child or the mother of their baby was or would be <20 years old at the baby's birth and the young man was <25 years old. Measures: Participants were interviewed utilizing open-ended questions, which included the following: the characteristics of good fathers, goals/needs for self and child, and whether or not they planned to raise the child as their father raised them and why. Results: Responses regarding fathering clustered into the following themes: being available; providing support; and self-improvement, including completing education and becoming a positive role model. Forty-seven percent believed that being employed or finishing school would help them be better fathers; 77% reported they would not raise their child as their own father had raised them, citing physical and/or emotional abuse/abandonment. Conclusions: Young men in this study identified several challenges to being &quot;good&quot; fathers. These included lack of employment, education, and positive role models.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0737-1209",
doi="10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00847.x",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1525-1446.2010.00847.x"
}