Open Access‘What about the dads?’ Linking fathers and children in administrative data: A systematic scoping review
Author(s) -
Irina Lut,
Katie Harron,
Pia Hardelid,
Margaret O’Brien,
Jenny Woodman
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
big data and society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.244
H-Index - 37
ISSN - 2053-9517
DOI - 10.1177/20539517211069299
Subject(s) - identification (biology) , identifier , linkage (software) , conceptual framework , child development , data science , psychology , developmental psychology , sociology , computer science , social science , biochemistry , chemistry , botany , biology , gene , programming language
Research has shown that paternal involvement positively impacts on child health and development. We aimed to develop a conceptual model of dimensions of fatherhood, identify and categorise methods used for linking fathers with their children in administrative data, and map these methods onto the dimensions of fatherhood. We carried out a systematic scoping review to create a conceptual framework of paternal involvement and identify studies exploring the impact of paternal exposures on child health and development outcomes using administrative data. We identified four methods that have been used globally to link fathers and children in administrative data based on family or household identifiers using address data, identifiable information about the father on the child's birth registration, health claims data, and Personal Identification Numbers. We did not identify direct measures of paternal involvement but mapping linkage methods to the framework highlighted possible proxies. The addition of paternal National Health Service numbers to birth notifications presents a way forward in the advancement of fatherhood research using administrative data sources.