The role of parental religiosity in shaping paternal investment: evidence from Bangladesh and India
Issued Date
2025-08-20
Resource Type
ISSN
09628452
eISSN
14712954
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105013670701
Journal Title
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences
Volume
292
Issue
2053
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Vol.292 No.2053 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Chvaja R., Shaver J.H., Spake L., Hassan A., Alam N., Rai R.K., Sear R., Sosis R., Shenk M.K. The role of parental religiosity in shaping paternal investment: evidence from Bangladesh and India. Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences Vol.292 No.2053 (2025). doi:10.1098/rspb.2025.1352 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111841
Title
The role of parental religiosity in shaping paternal investment: evidence from Bangladesh and India
Author's Affiliation
Pennsylvania State University
Harvard University
University of Connecticut
University of Otago
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Mahidol University
Brunel University London
Binghamton University State University of New York
Baylor University
ICDDRB, Public Health Sciences Division
European Research University
Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance
Harvard University
University of Connecticut
University of Otago
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Mahidol University
Brunel University London
Binghamton University State University of New York
Baylor University
ICDDRB, Public Health Sciences Division
European Research University
Society for Health and Demographic Surveillance
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Among humans, paternal investment has been shown to enhance both fertility and offspring survival. While psychological and ecological influences on human paternal investment are relatively well documented, cultural influences remain less well understood. It has been proposed that religion can be an important socio-cultural factor shaping paternal investment. First, religions often instill pro-family values in fathers, potentially increasing their investment. Second, if religions promote pro-family values in mothers, these values may be communicated through religious behaviours, encouraging greater paternal investment. Alternatively, fathers may use maternal religiosity as a strategic cue of maternal pro-family commitment to reduce their own investment, shifting responsibility to mothers. To evaluate these hypotheses, we analyse data from 1238 children under 17 years old across 822 households in India and Bangladesh. Our findings suggest that in India, paternal religiosity is positively associated with fathers’ housework assistance and emotional support to mothers. In Bangladesh, maternal religiosity is positively associated with paternal emotional support to mothers and child provisioning. In both countries, maternal religiosity positively associates with paternal investment among the most religious fathers. These findings indicate that religion plays a complex role in paternal investment, shaped by the interplay of parental religiosity and socio-ecological context.