Effects of father-daughter contact on use of pregnancy services by Mexican, Mexican-American, and Anglo adolescents

This study describes whether frequency and quality of father-daughter contact during adolescent pregnancy differ by ethnicity, whether this contact affects health behavior, and how ethnicity conditions the relationship between contact and behavior. Health behavior is defined as timing of pregnancy test and first prenatal visit. Data were gathered from a sample of 105 Anglo, Mexican-American, and Mexican adolescents interviewed at mid-pregnancy. Almost twice as many Mexicans (64%) as Mexican-Americans never saw their fathers ( p < 0.03). Girls living with their fathers obtained pregnancy tests significantly later ( p < 0.01) than those living independently. This relationship was maintained when ethnicity was held constant ( p < 0.01). When quality of contact was included, the relationship between residency with father and timing of pregnancy test became even stronger ( p < 0.003).