The health of single fathers: demographic, economic and social correlates.

Background: The proportion of families headed by single fathers is increasing in many developed countries. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of single parenting on the self-rated health of Canadian fathers living with children, and the extent to which this relationship can be explained by social, demographic, and economic factors.

Methods: Secondary analysis of data from a national community health survey. The sample studied consists of 15,662 Canadian men aged 15-64, living with at least one child under the age of 25.

Results: Compared to partnered fathers, single fathers had poorer self-rated health. The relationship between partner status and self-rated health could be completely explained by single fathers' older age, lower income, and higher rate of unemployment.

Conclusions: Single fathers experience poorer perceived health. This effect appears to result from the economic and social disadvantage associated with raising children alone rather than from single parenting in and of itself. These findings, in combination with previous research, suggest a need for provincial and federal policies to target the well-being of both single mothers and single fathers.