Sindy Agustin

Background: Father involvement is an important aspect of the caregiving environment that is associated with children’s social-emotional development. Such involvement includes interaction, support, attention, and participation in children’s activities. This study aimed to analyze the association between nine dimensions of father involvement and emotional and behavioral difficulties among children aged 5-9 years. Methods: This study used a quantitative research method with a cross-sectional design. Participants were 130 mothers who had children aged 5-9 years in Jonggol Village. Father involvement was measured using the Inventory of Father Involvement (IFI), consisting of nine dimensions, while children’s emotional and behavioral difficulties were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) through the Total Difficulties score. Associations were analyzed using the Spearman Rank correlation test with a significance level of 5%. Results: Three of the nine IFI dimensions showed significant negative associations with SDQ Total Difficulties: Time and Talking (rs = −0.181; p = 0.040), Reading and Homework (rs = −0.227; p = 0.009), and Attention (rs = −0.178; p = 0.043). The other six dimensions were not significantly associated with SDQ Total Difficulties (p > 0.05). Findings are exploratory (p-values unadjusted). Conclusion: Specific aspects of father involvement, particularly time and communication, participation in reading and homework, and attention, were associated with lower emotional and behavioral difficulties among children. These findings highlight the importance of examining father involvement not only as an overall construct but also according to its specific dimensions