Seven Reasons Why the New Study on Single Dads' Alleged Neglect of Their Kids' Health May Be Misleading
August 9th, 2007 by Glenn Sacks, MA for Fathers & FamiliesAs the new Reuters article Children of single dads get less health care (8/8/07) explains, a new study by Health Services Research claims that single fathers are less likely to take their children to the doctor for routine visits than single mothers, and are also less likely to have health insurance. (My favorite headline is "Single Dads Dodging Those Doctor Visits" from the Seattle Post Intelligencer). Despite the alleged disadvantages single mothers face, we're told that "nonetheless, children of single mothers were most likely to make well-child visits to the doctor for preventive care."
I think that single fathers should be more careful to make these "well-child" visits and have health insurance, but there are many reasons besides implied male irresponsibility which could account for these findings. These include:
1) As the article itself states, families headed by single women are "far more likely to have government health insurance" than single-father families.
2) Most single mothers receive either child support, alimony, government assistance, financial support from a new man in the mom's life, or some combination of all four--none of which are considered when we judge these mothers' socioeconomic status. By contrast, single fathers rarely receive child support, and alimony and government assistance are even rarer. (Despite the "deadbeat dad" stereotype, noncustodial mothers are 20% more likely to default on their child support obligations than noncustodial fathers. This is despite the fact that noncustodial mothers are less likely to be required to pay child support, and those with support obligations are asked to pay a lower percentage of their income in child support than noncustodial fathers).
3) Custodial fathers are three and a half times as likely to work long work weeks as custodial mothers. Single fathers as a rule work more hours and at jobs which entail more responsibility and less flexibility than those held by single mothers. Single mothers' lives certainly aren't easy, but they are more likely to work 40 hour weeks (no overtime), or part time, or not at all, giving them far more opportunity to go to the doctor. Men, in general, neglect their own health for this reason. For example, when I was a kid my father would raise heaven and earth to avoid "grinding up the morning in the doctor's office." He was the family breadwinner, he had responsibilities, and he didn't have a lot of free time during the day. I think my father's attitude is fairly typical of breadwinner dads, and all single fathers are breadwinner dads--they certainly aren't being supported by their exes or the government.
4) Single moms sometimes have health insurance for their families because dad is paying for it. By contrast, single dads rarely have health insurance because a noncustodial mom is paying for it.
5) Single fathers may be raising their kids, but still often have financial obligations to their exes, none of which are considered when we judge these fathers' socioeconomic status. Some pay alimony, and some are even paying child support to their children's mothers. It is not uncommon for a single father to have the following "deal" with his ex--the kids live with dad, but mom retains formal custody. Dad pays mom child support to keep her content with the arrangement--if he doesn't, she'll take custody of the kids back. Dad figures he can either pay to be with his kids or pay and not be with them, so he chooses to be with them.
6) Single fathers don't usually get custody easily--many of them have had to fight long, expensive legal battles to get custody. Many have huge expenses left over from their divorces, including their own attorneys' fees and sometimes their exes' attorneys fees, for which fathers are often made responsible.
7) The study "uses data from a national survey of U.S. families" and found that "fewer children in single-father homes made routine, 'well-child' doctor visits compared with children in either two-parent or single-mother homes." It's possible that part of the discrepancy is that the dads are less likely to remember, or note, these visits, or that they had a relative (such as grandma) take the kids for them.
The Reuters article is below.
Children of single dads get less health care
8/8/07
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Single fathers are less likely than other parents to take their children for routine doctor visits, and more likely to go without health insurance, a new study suggests.
Using data from a national survey of U.S. families, researchers found that fewer children in single-father homes made routine, "well-child" doctor visits compared with children in either two-parent or single-mother homes.
The children with single fathers were also 20 percent more likely to go a full year without health insurance, according to findings published online by the journal Health Services Research.
In contrast, children of single mothers had "comparable if not better access to care" than children living with both parents, the study authors report.
"The bottom line is that children in single-father families may be more vulnerable to health problems because they're not getting well-child visits or they don't have easy access to care when they need it," study co-author Dr. Kathleen Ziol-Guest said in a statement.
Men are generally less likely than women to make routine doctor visits for their own health, and this may partially explain the findings, according to Ziol-Guest, a researcher at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston.
"We should be looking for ways to make single fathers more aware of the importance of health care coverage and routine doctor visits," she said.
The findings are based on a national survey that included parents of 62,193 children younger than 18. Just 3 percent of the children lived in a single-father home, while 22 percent lived in a single-mother home.
Families headed by single women were far more likely to live under the poverty line and have government health insurance than either single-father or two-parent families.
Nonetheless, children of single mothers were most likely to make well-child visits to the doctor for preventive care.
Children of single fathers had the lowest rate of well-child visits in the past year -- 57 percent -- compared to 69 percent and 67 percent of children in single-mother and two-parent homes, respectively.
"Like single mothers, most single fathers are undoubtedly doing the best they can under difficult circumstances," Ziol-Guest said. "But they may need more education and support when it comes to getting proper health care for their children."
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August 9th, 2007 at 11:07 am
And how many of these "well child" visits turn up absolutely nothing?
Why are we socially conditioned to submit our life to "experts" because, apparently, we can't take care of ourselves?
If the child needs medical attention, does the single father take, or arrange for, the child to the doctor?
That's the only question that matters.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:10 am
Let Single Dads get the same share of the benefits that Single Mothers receive and then we'll see what the numbers are then.
Hell, If i got a tax-free check each month for whatever amount I'd cut back my hours too. If Uncle Sam or my ex also paid for my insurance, EVEN Better since I wouldn't have to juggle between getting health insurance and not-eating. If my ex or uncle same provided me with free legal counsel and a family court system that caters to my every whim, I'd be like "hell yeah, let's see if we can hit that man up for some more free financial love! CSS, you rock!" Let's not forget the extra automatically accept into society as a martyr hero status for raising a kid alone despite all the "odds" thing too. That's just the icing.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:23 am
Of course another way to frame it is that the general health of the children of single mothers must be inferior to that of the children of single fathers -- as indicated by the amount of doctor visits.
August 9th, 2007 at 11:53 am
Families headed by single women were far more likely to live under the poverty line and have government health insurance than either single-father or two-parent families.
Live in poverty or make that well-child visit, live in poverty or make that well-child visit. Such a tough choice!
There's the answer, right in the article. Dad's busy working hard to keep the kids out of poverty.
August 9th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
I really couldn't care less. People survived for thousands of years without "well child" visits, see no need for them now. If anything this should be a source of shame, the single mom that runs the kid to the doctor every time he has some minor cold and the doctors hand out antibotics to shut them up producing various strains of illnesses that are becoming resistant to the antibotics. Of course such a child grows up thinking every time they don't feel great they need to go to the doctor and get some sort of drug.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:16 pm
Not to mention the fact that not only do they children of single mothers have equal or better health care than that of single fathers, but even than that of intact families. Just one more reason why most women start divorces...Honestly, with all I go through with our son and my husband's ex, child support, etc...I very often wonder how nicely I'd live, and most of all our son, if we were divorced instead. Currently he has the left over insurance that we can afford, while the child receiving child support has the top of the line insurance as mandated by ex and child support office. Mind you, the mother also includes the child in her own insurance, since she has two other kids and a husband, and there is no additional cost to her. So in essence, this child has double insurance, while our son has one lousy one. Yes, definitely both my son and I would be better off.
For some reason, people seem to think that children of divorce are not only entitled to the SAME standard of living as when their parents where married, which I can assure you, many probably did NOT have insurance, but they deserve a higher standard of living than all others.
Also, it's true that mothers take their kids to more well visits and doctors for any little thing. I know my mom took us for anything...I also have some single mother friends who have free insurance and if their kid has an upset stomach one time, they take them to the emergency room...while my husband and I on the other hand, wait it out, change his diet, try some alternate remedies...and normally, whatever bug he had, goes away within a day or two.
I'm sure they won't state how many are not only taking their kids to these visits, but what are these single mothers actually paying? Could it be that the have "0" copayments and/or their ex's are responsible for all the copayments/etc? More than likely so...
August 9th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
What a bunch of crap. My husband's ex-wife, when she had primary custody, neglected the kids horribly. It got so bad that my husband tried to involve Social Services because the crazy loon kept dropping the health insurance she was court ordered to carry, refused to take the kids to a dentist (far more important than the well check, in my opinion, if your kids are generally healthy), and told them to quit lying about their teeth hurting. At one point, the kids needed well over $5K in dental work and my husband couldn't afford it because he was paying over half of his paycheck to her in child support. She had a new handbag, got her nails done, new haircut every couple of weeks, but the kids teeth (and health in general) was in the toilet. SS didn't care at all, even turned the accusation of neglect on him, although he was working a 55+ hour/week job and only had the kids one weekday overnight. Ridiculous! I wonder where "they" get these statistics. Now that he has primary custody, the kids are in far better shape than they ever dreamt of being when they were with The Egg Donor.
August 9th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Not a bad article in itself, although I do have a problem with the anti-father headines tacked on to it, e.g. "Single Dads Dodging Those Doctor Visits" from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
How about "Single Moms' Kids More Likely to end up in Doctor's Office". Just kidding!
The conclusion of the article is for more outreach to dads, to encourage them to take the kids to the doctor. Sounds harmless and possibly positive to me. It's certainly true that as a dad taking one's child to the doctor, I am very conscious that I am entering a "feminocracy" where I am considered of secondary importance.
One nurse decided that "we" should cut off a harmless skin tag on my son's ear, and was horrified when I said (in unison with him): "No way!" (That's the 2nd occasion I stopped the medical profession from needlessly cutting something off him...you can guess the first).
It would be an interesting study to observe how many questions nurses/ doctors ask moms compared with dads on doctors visits...A more dad-friendly environment wouldn't hurt.
August 9th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Simply another excuse for the so-called "mainstream news media" to print something negative about fathers. Notice how quick they are to print such articles about fathers, while anything negative about single mothers is either suppressed or accompanied by a long list of excuses (usually blaming men) for their negative behavior.
Why haven't they published an article that compares the percentage of children that suffer abuse in single mother households versus those in single father households?
August 10th, 2007 at 4:10 am
Men bad & women good: How typical! There are some good points in Glenn's article and in comments here.
Dave has a HUGE point in saying that lone mother households have FAR more child-abuse than lone father households. Yet, there is NO WAY the media could say anything about that!
Until we can talk about these topics without hatred of men, until that happens, we will go on having problems that we do not need to have.
August 11th, 2007 at 12:30 am
I have custody of my son, the only reason he has had to go to the Dr. are for routine check-ups, stitches( once because he is an real boy), and his kindergarden physical. I also have two daughters that i pay healthcare for; they have been to the Dr. numerous times in the past year. What is the difference thier mother is pathetic she is a victim. My son goes to daycare with other boys raisedby thier mothers, they are pathetic. As fathers we need to stand up for our kids and for ourselves. We can sit and bitch or if we really want make a change we need to make it. The state governments work under the guise of the "childs best intrest", but we all understand that it is to keep the pathetic mother on her cross and off of state aide. We all have a voice for what we really want. Are you a real deadbeat just bitching to cover your inadequecies? Or are you a real father with a child that deserves to be with you? We(those of us who are real fathers) deserve the same opportunity as our pathetic cunts. Anyone with a real discussion respond. The rest of you shut up all that you say will still make you a deadbeat. Our children learn character from us what we are adle to give them CAN change. I want change
August 11th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
I just don't understand why women feel that father can't care for thier kids as well as mother do. it would seem to me that they are trying to make sure this one area where they hold all the cards.
August 12th, 2007 at 9:24 am
"I just don't understand why women feel that father can't care for thier kids as well as mother do."
One word: insecurity. IMHO, most, if not all, of the women who share this misguided belief are very insecure about themselves and their place in the world, and they usually have a whole lot of other emotional problems as well. Just remember, not all women think this way.
August 14th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Point four in Glenn's article hit's the nail on the head for me. My ex takes my son to the doctor every time he gets the sniffles, and why shouldn't she? Our divorce stipulates that I pay all medical insurance and all out of pocket. She doesn't care that I'm charged a $30 copay every time she takes him, neither does she care that a doctor can't do anything for the common cold except prescribe pain relievers and prescription versions of OTC cold remedies - which merely address the symptoms.
I want my son to be healthy (and thank God he is!), but I don't think he needs to go to the doctor for every runny nose, sprained ankle, or allergy.
August 20th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
I have a problem with the word "single" as it is used in the article. Katherine Mannheim is a single mom, never married, but most ot the mom's and dads the article refers to are divorced; i.e., the kids are not illegitimate and know trheir fathers., unlike Katherine's child. Of course, it is politically incorrect to recognize illegitimacy under Family Law, which is enough reason for us to do so. A better reason, however, is that it is a valid distinction and illegitimacy is a cancer in our society. We ignore ancient wisdom at our peril!
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:14 am
This is pathetic. Seems like a "dad" wrote this article just to get back at having to own up to the responsibility of being a parent. Single "dads" are too busy thinking with their cocks to understand what it means to provide, protect and take care of their kids. And so we have the 7 reasons article which aggressively puts down women in the usual gold-digger/welfare queen fashion. Is that men just aren't smart enough to think of factual reasons in support of their statements or what? They want to lay down, spread their seed around and when it comes time to take responsibility they either disappear or write up pathetic articles to rally support of their immature, deadbeat ways. Wise up and realize that you've gotta pay to play and you think you've won the game think again!
August 22nd, 2007 at 9:11 pm
Now she said it "--you've gotta pay to play -."
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:41 am
"--you've gotta pay to play -."
And now we have a glimpse into the way this person's mind works. Notice how the writer equates sex with money?
September 6th, 2007 at 11:51 am
[...] needs than mothers. I have reasons to doubt that study, and I outlined them in my blog post Seven Reasons Why the New Study on Single Dads' Alleged Neglect of Their Kids' Health May Be Mislead... [...]