Fathers matter: evidence on the role of father involvement for early development of rural Chinese sons and daughters
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Child Health Care, National Clinical Research Center for Children and Adolescents’ Health and Diseases, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- 2Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Neonatal Diseases, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- 3Chinese Studies Group, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- 4Rural Education Action Program, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- 5Department of Economics, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- 6International Business School, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi’an, Shaanxi, China
Abstract
Background: Caregiver involvement in cognitively stimulating play is critical for children’s early development. Nevertheless, the role of fathers remains underexplored, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. This study examines the role of father involvement for developmental outcomes of sons and daughters under age 3 in rural Chinese households.
Methods: In July 2024, we surveyed a randomly selected sample of 6–24 months old and their caregivers (n=592) in an east coast province in China. Children’s cognition, language and motor development was measured using the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III). Father and primary caregiver involvement was assessed with the play activities scale, family care indicators. Given that most fathers (96.1%) in the study sample are non-primary caregivers, while mothers (72.0%) and grandmothers (22.8%) hold most primary caregiving roles, the study focuses on non-primary caregiving fathers. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess relationships of Bayley-III scores with father and primary caregiver involvement.
Results: Involvement of non-primary caregiving fathers is low (ie, less than half the level of primary caregiver involvement). Less than 20% of fathers frequently tell stories or read books to their children. Children with more involved fathers (ie, above-median engagement in play activities) have, on average, Bayley-III composite cognitive, language and motor scores that are 5.1, 7.5 and 3.6 points higher than children with less involved fathers (ps<0.05). The results also provide suggestive evidence that father and primary-caregiver involvement each contribute to early language development, with their contributions accumulating when both are involved. Finally, contrary to traditional son preferences, fathers are found to engage more attentively with daughters, potentially as a result of changing times and cultural mores.
Conclusions: Encouraging father involvement may serve as a promising approach to support young children in reaching developmental potential in rural China.
Trial registration number: ISRCTN13421990.
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BibTeX
@article{zheng2026fathers,
title = {{Fathers matter: evidence on the role of father involvement for early development of rural Chinese sons and daughters}},
author = {Shuangshuang Zheng and Laura Nagels and Yun Shen and Dorien Emmers and Lei Wang and Bingquan Zhu and Lei Wang and Scott Rozelle and Jie Shao},
journal = {BMJ Paediatrics Open},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004684},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004684},
note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fathers matter: evidence on the role of father involvement for early development of rural Chinese sons and daughters
AU - Shuangshuang Zheng
AU - Laura Nagels
AU - Yun Shen
AU - Dorien Emmers
AU - Lei Wang
AU - Bingquan Zhu
AU - Lei Wang
AU - Scott Rozelle
AU - Jie Shao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/26
JO - BMJ Paediatrics Open
DO - 10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004684
UR - https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjpo-2026-004684
AB - Background: Caregiver involvement in cognitively stimulating play is critical for children’s early development. Nevertheless, the role of fathers remains underexplored, particularly in low- and middle-income regions. This study examines the role of father involvement for developmental outcomes of sons and daughters under age 3 in rural Chinese households. Methods: In July 2024, we surveyed a randomly selected sample of 6–24 months old and their caregivers (n=592) in an east coast province in China. Children’s cognition, language and motor development was measured using the Third Edition of the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (Bayley-III). Father and primary caregiver involvement was assessed with the play activities scale, family care indicators. Given that most fathers (96.1%) in the study sample are non-primary caregivers, while mothers (72.0%) and grandmothers (22.8%) hold most primary caregiving roles, the study focuses on non-primary caregiving fathers. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess relationships of Bayley-III scores with father and primary caregiver involvement. Results: Involvement of non-primary caregiving fathers is low (ie, less than half the level of primary caregiver involvement). Less than 20% of fathers frequently tell stories or read books to their children. Children with more involved fathers (ie, above-median engagement in play activities) have, on average, Bayley-III composite cognitive, language and motor scores that are 5.1, 7.5 and 3.6 points higher than children with less involved fathers (ps<0.05). The results also provide suggestive evidence that father and primary-caregiver involvement each contribute to early language development, with their contributions accumulating when both are involved. Finally, contrary to traditional son preferences, fathers are found to engage more attentively with daughters, potentially as a result of changing times and cultural mores. Conclusions: Encouraging father involvement may serve as a promising approach to support young children in reaching developmental potential in rural China. Trial registration number: ISRCTN13421990.
SN - 2399-9772
ER -