Theses and Dissertations from UMD

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://hdl.handle.net/1903/2

New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.

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2005 - 200912010 - 20121

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    THE IMPORTANCE OF UNMARRIED RESIDENTIAL FATHERS TO MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH: THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN PRENATAL INVOLVEMENT AND BIRTH OUTCOMES
    (2012) Singer, Barbara Jones; Hofferth, Sandra L.; Family Studies; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Rates of low birth weight and preterm birth in the United States remain higher than those of other industrialized countries. The influence of fathers during the pregnancy period and the impact they have on birth outcomes represent under-researched areas in the field of maternal and child health. This study used nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study - Birth cohort (2001) to explore three lines of research. Approximately 850 children of unmarried residential fathers comprised the analytic sample. First, as several studies have used paternity acknowledgement as a proxy for paternal involvement during the pregnancy, this study tested three fatherhood constructs to determine if they were associated with whether the father's name was listed on the birth certificate. This study then examined if these fatherhood constructs were associated with low birth weight and preterm birth. Two mediating pathways were considered: change in maternal smoking during pregnancy and adequacy of prenatal care. Finally, the influence of state-level paternity establishment rates on the association between fatherhood constructs and father's name on the birth certificate was studied. The results indicated that paternal history of negative behaviors was associated with the unmarried residential father being named on the birth certificate. Furthermore, children who lived in states with high rates of paternity establishment were more likely to have their father's name on the birth certificate. Paternal prenatal involvement was associated with both an increased chance of receiving adequate prenatal care and a reduced risk of low birth weight. Maternal smoking during pregnancy was reduced when both parents wanted the pregnancy, and not reduced when the father had a history of negative behaviors. This study supports the conclusion that paternal prenatal involvement is an important area to be considered in the reduction of adverse birth outcomes. Moreover, this study adds to our understanding of some limitations of using the father's name on the birth certificate as a proxy for paternal involvement during pregnancy for unmarried residential fathers. Finally, although mediation was not evident, this study confirms the influential role that unmarried residential fathers play in maternal health behaviors.
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    Low birth weight and the criminal career
    (2005-09-16) Boonstoppel, Sarah Lizabeth; Laub, John H; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    This thesis examines the relationship between low birth weight and crime over the life course. Recent research has explored low birth weight as a proxy measure for neuropsychological deficits that affect antisocial and delinquent behavior, but it is limited in scope with regard to the dimensions of the criminal career (e.g., onset, frequency, and persistence). This study uses data from the classic study of 500 delinquents and 500 nondelinquents and subsequent follow-ups conducted by Sheldon and Eleanor Glueck to examine low birth weight and the criminal career. Derived from multiple sources, these data contain information on offending from unofficial and official records spanning childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. For this sample, low birth weight is not related to the dimensions of the criminal career examined here, nor is low birth weight related to offending in early adulthood. Implications for future research and policy are offered.