Effectiveness of Parenting Programs on Child Development and Maternal Well-being in Rural Uganda

The purpose of the current study involves the development, implementation and evaluation of a parenting program to target maternal well-being and child health, growth and development in Lira, Uganda. The current study aims to address maternal care within a parenting program as well as parenting practices emphasizing nutrition, hygiene, and psychosocial stimulation through peer-support, practice and problem-solving. Outcomes include child health, growth and development, maternal mental health, mother-child interactions, and maternal-spousal relations.

We hypothesize that:

1. Children of parents who attend the parenting program will have better health, height and cognitive/language development at post-test, than children whose parents did not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions.
2. Parents who attend the parenting program will have more knowledge about child development and provide more home stimulation, dietary diversity and preventive health practices than parents who do not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions.
3. Mothers who attend the parenting program will have improved well-being compared to mothers who do not have the opportunity to attend parenting sessions.