Father Absence as Related to Life History Strategy in Suriname Among Adults

In the present research. we examined in a sample of 500 adults, aged 25 to 50 years, from the five major ethnic groups in Suriname, the association between father absence during childhood and the development of either a fast or slow life history strategy as measured with the 20-item Mini-K. The results showed that even when controlling for educational level, income level, and civil status, father absence was strongly related to life history strategy, with those with a father who left before the age of 13 reporting a faster life history than those whose father left later, or had been present during all childhood. Although the ethnic groups differed considerably in the prevalence of father absence, the association between father absence and life history strategy did not differ between the ethnic groups. Neither was there an association between gender and life history strategy.