Divorce and conversational difficulties with father affect child's future health

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Children who drank whole milk had lower odds of being overweight or obese, study finds They also saw a clear connection between the divorce and conversational difficulties between children and fathers: "It seems like conversational difficulties between children and father was present also before the divorce, but we also see that the divorce weakens the relationship between the children and their fathers," Meland states. If the children reported having a good relationship with both parents after the divorce, the divorce did not seem to affect the self-esteem or health to the children in any negative manner. Daughters find it hardest to talk with their father The study also shows that the girls have more difficulties talking with their fathers than the boys. Daughters also reported having more health complaints, but the consequence of conversational difficulties seemed to be the same for both sexes: "In the data we can see the tendency that girls suffer more from having lost contact with their fathers, but the difference is not significant," the researcher says. A neglected subject The data included information on which parent was the child's main caregiver and where the children lived, but it was not considered reliable enough to be included in the article. It suggested that three times as many children reported having lost contact with their fathers than with their mothers: "If the divorce is taken to court, it is the mother that most often ends up with the status as the main caregiver," says Meland, but adds that he sees a tendency towards that the parents decide to share the custody. Meland strongly believes that the importance of maintaining a close relationship between father and child after a divorce is a neglected subject: "Our research clearly shows that a strong relationship with both parents is important for the children's health. This should impact the family policy," says Meland. Source: The University of Bergen Journal reference: Meland, E., et al. (2019) Divorce and conversational difficulties with parents: Impact on adolescent health and self-esteem. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health . doi.org/10.1177/1403494819888044 .