Identifying Father Involvement Profiles Among Chinese Rural Children Using Latent Profile Analysis: The Relations to Depressive Symptoms and the Moderating Role of Parental Relationship

Based on Lamb’s three-dimension model, this study identified different profiles of father involvement using latent profile analysis. Then, this study examined the differences in depressive symptoms across these profiles, along with the moderating role of parental relationship. A total of 750 Chinese rural children ( M age = 11.86, SD age = 0.60; 53.07% males) were included in the study. The results identified three profiles: Low, Moderate, and High father involvement. Rural children in the Low father involvement profile showed higher depressive symptoms than the other two profiles. Parental relationship moderated this association. Specifically, in cases of a disharmonious parental relationship, moderate and high father involvement significantly reduced depressive symptoms. In cases of average and harmonious parental relationships, high father involvement significantly reduced depressive symptoms. This research highlights that, despite limited rural fathers’ involvement, a harmonious relationship between parents can powerfully compensate.