| Parameter who (completed) | Measure | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Main outcome and explanatory variables | ||
| Child consultation for developmental and behavioural problems (M) | Item list of child problems seen by a GP or specialist, developed by authors | Items included: hyperactivity, tantrums, and aggressive and violent behaviour (categorised as ‘externalising problems’); withdrawn behaviour, poor concentration and sleeping problems (categorised as ‘emotional symptoms ’); speech and language problems; coordination problems; and eating problems |
| Major depressive syndrome (F) | Patient Health Questionnaire10 | Cross-sectional DSM-IV diagnosis for major depressive syndrome |
| Potential confounding variables | ||
| Major depressive syndrome (M) syndrome | Patient Health Questionnaire10 | Cross-sectional DSM-IV diagnosis for major depressive |
| Father responsibility for taking child to doctor (F) | Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project (NJ Cabrera, personal communication) | Fathers indicated the extent to which they took their child to see the doctor compared with their partner (at least half the time versus less than half the time) |
| Paternal role stress (F) | Early Head Start Research and Evaluation Project Parental stress scale (NJ Cabrera, personal communication) | 14-item scale; a factor analysis was conducted and factors were identified on paternal role stress, bonding with the child, and perceptions of the child |
| Father-child contact time (F) | Father diary developed by authors | Fathers recorded number of waking hours spent with the child on a typical weekday and a typical weekend day in the previous week |
| Attitudes towards parental role (F) | The Attitudes Towards Fathering Scale12 | 36-item scale assessed whether fathers' attitudes toward the paternal role were more ‘traditional’ or ‘developmental’ in nature |
| Other psychiatric impairment (F, M) | Patient Health Questionnaire10 | Cross-sectional DSM-IV diagnosis for panic syndrome, other anxiety syndrome, and somatoform disorder |
| Couple relationship quality (F, M) | The Dyadic Adjustment Scale13 | Standardised 32–item scale assessed: dyadic consensus, dyadic satisfaction, affectional expression, and dyadic cohesion |
| Alcohol misuse (F, M) | WHO Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT questionnaire)14 | Assessed alcohol consumption in the past year using a 10-item scale. Score of eight and above indicates risk of hazardous alcohol intake |
| Sociodemographic factors (F, M) | UK census measures15 | Age, marital status, employment status, housing tenure, car/van ownership, education/qualifications, and ethnicity |
AUDIT = Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test, DSM = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,9 F = fathers, M = mothers, WHO = World Health Organization.