Peer-reviewed article
Mexican American Fathers in Research: Understanding Perceptions, Barriers, and Contributors to Participation.
Muñoz-Gauna A, Gallegos MF, Fineman MS, Tietbohl CK, Miramontes E et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study explored why Mexican American fathers participate or do not participate in research about parenting and child development. Researchers interviewed 14 fathers to understand their views and found that fathers want to help but face barriers like work and time constraints. The study identified that clear communication, partner support, and flexible research methods can help more fathers participate in research.
Key points
- Fathers are motivated to participate in parenting research when they see individual, family, and community benefits
- Work commitments and lack of time are the main barriers to father participation in research
- Clear, complete, and transparent communication from researchers helps recruit fathers
- Partners and spouses have a positive influence on fathers' willingness to participate
- Flexibility in research design—including study length, timing, and method—is important for father participation
Limitations
This study explored perceptions and barriers through interviews with only 14 fathers, so findings may not generalise beyond this small group or to Mexican American fathers in different regions or circumstances. The study does not test whether addressing these barriers actually increases father participation in real research projects.
Abstract
Objective Fathers, especially Latino fathers, are underrepresented in research focused on parenting and families. This is despite fathers playing an important role in child development. The objective of the study was to explore Mexican American fathers' perception of research on parenting and families and perceived barriers and contributors to their participation. Design Semi-structured interviews were conducted with Mexican American fathers via phone in either English or Spanish (n = 14). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded. A team-based approach was used to analyze transcripts and identify themes. Results Interviews revealed 5 main themes: 1) Fathers' motivation to participate - consisting of individual, family, and community benefits; 2) Key contributors to aid in recruitment - clear, complete, and transparent communication; 3) The key role that partners play - positive influence towards father participation; 4) Barriers to participate - work, lack of time, and priorities outside of work; 5) The importance of flexibility - length, time of day, and method. Conclusions Researchers aiming to enroll Mexican American fathers in research on families and parenting should consider these findings when designing their studies. Approaches that consider the needs of fathers are critical to ensure representation.