Predicting father involvement: A hierarchical regression analysis of fathers’ age and fathering self-efficacy

Father involvement helps children aged 0-5 years regulate their emotions and reduce the risk of later behavioral problems. Nevertheless, a survey by Badan Pusat Statistik (BPS) in 2021 indicated the low level of father involvement in child rearing. Therefore, the present study investigated the influence of fathering self-efficacy on fathers’ involvement in childrearing while controlling age as a covariate. Participants were 154 fathers’ aged 20 - 45 years, with children aged 0 - 5 years old. Data were collected using adapted versions of the Father Self-Efficacy Scale and the Inventory of Father Involvement. A two-step hierarchical regression analysis was performed. In step-1, age was significantly predicted for lower father’s involvement (B = -.026, SE = .009, 95%CI [5.436, 6.665]), accounting for 4.4% variance explained. In step-2, the effect of fathers’ age became non-significant (95%CI [-.016, .011]), while fathering self-efficacy emerged as a positive predictor of fathers’ involvement (B = .49, SE = .003, 95%CI [.043,.055]), with 58.3% variance explained. These findings suggest that although older age may be associated with reduced father involvement, high levels of fathering self-efficacy can promote sustained engagement in childrearing activities.