MedPath

CenteringParenting Clinical Intervention on Kindergarten Readiness in Early Childhood

Not Applicable
Recruiting
Conditions
Parent-Child Relations
Parenting
Child Development
Child Behavior
Interventions
Behavioral: CenteringParenting Intervention
Behavioral: Routine Well Child Care
Registration Number
NCT03641092
Lead Sponsor
Boston Medical Center
Brief Summary

Disparities in health begin in early childhood. Early life experiences influence brain development and have significant implications on future health and developmental outcomes. Low-income children are at greater risk of developmental delays in large part due to a lack of an enriched environment. Disparities in early childhood development increase risk for stunted academic achievement throughout the life course. Primary care is a universal exposure in early childhood and therefore is also a significant entry point for promoting optimal child development.

There is a need to provide effective, low-cost, and scalable interventions in primary care to support early childhood development.The CenteringParenting intervention is designed to reduce negative health and developmental outcomes within a model of group routine child health care. To date, there is no evidence of the benefits of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness, or improvements in parental behaviors that support optimal developmental milestones and achievement. The intent of this study is to determine the effectiveness of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness in early childhood, as measured by language development at 24 months, (in addition to health care utilization, child routine care maintenance, parenting stress, caregiver behaviors and attitudes).

Detailed Description

Children raised in environments with limited stimulation and lack of exposure to positive interactions are likely to have developmental delays in expressive and receptive language, vocabulary, social skills, behavior-all factors critical for school readiness. Children who enter kindergarten underprepared are more likely to struggle academically and experience lower school achievement, and ultimately impaired opportunities for economic and social mobility as adults.

The CenteringParenting intervention is designed to reduce negative health and developmental outcomes within a model of group routine child health care. This bundled intervention supports healthy parent-child interactions and early learning through education and experiential learning within a group well-child visit model. The intervention reduces social isolation and creates a community of support for caregivers, as well as utilizes a positive parenting approach to empowering parents with knowledge and skills to support optimal child development. The CenteringParenting intervention includes written materials provided at an annual clinical visit, as well as specific training for the facilitators/providers. To date, there is no research evidence of the benefits of the CenteringParenting intervention on school readiness, or improvements in parental behaviors that support optimal developmental milestones and achievement.

Study Design: A multi-site, cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the impact of the CenteringParenting clinical intervention on kindergarten readiness, as measured by expressive and receptive language and vocabulary at 24 months of age.

Objective Hypothesis: Compared to those receiving standard routine health care, the CenteringParenting intervention will result in improved language development at age 2 years and increased parental behaviors to encourage reading, talking and playing.

Specific Aim 1: In a cluster randomized controlled trial, assess the effectiveness and implementation of the CenteringParenting intervention. Specific Aim 2: Evaluate the fidelity of the implementation of the CenteringParenting intervention. Specific Aim 3: Evaluate caregivers' experience and engagement with the CenteringParenting intervention model and explore the relation between degree of engagement and development stimulating behaviors.

Primary outcomes are: expressive and receptive language and vocabulary based on the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) and Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) 5th Edition Parent Questionnaire. The secondary outcome is: parental behavior based on the Stim-Q (a reliable and valid measure of cognitive stimulation provided in the home).

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
RECRUITING
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
1200
Inclusion Criteria

For participating practice sites

  • Practice provides care to patients who are covered by public insurance and/or uninsured (no minimum threshold: all insurance types eligible)
  • Practices have at least 3,000 primary care visits per year

For parent-child dyad

  • Index child age must be 0-3 months
  • Parent must be female
  • Parent must be 18 years of age and older
  • Parent and child must attend one of the 10 study clinical sites
  • Parental consent
  • Parent must be fluent in English or Spanish
Exclusion Criteria

For participating practice sites

  • Does not accept public insurance

For parent-child dyad

  • Child born prior to 34 weeks gestation
  • Child with chronic conditions known to affect neurodevelopment
  • Child with a positive screen on the Children with Special Healthcare Needs screener

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Experimental Clinical SiteCenteringParenting Intervention5 experimental clinical sites will receive the implementation of CenteringParenting assistance early. This arm will include the CenteringParenting intervention.
Comparison Clinical SiteRoutine Well Child Care5 comparison clinical sites will receive Routine Well Child Care and CenteringParenting implementation assistance later and serve as control sites. This arm will include the Routine Well Child Care intervention.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Receptive vocabulary assessment at 12 months12 months

Assess Receptive vocabulary based on the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) 5th Edition Parent Questionnaire. The scale accesses: Total language, auditory comprehension, expressive communication standard scores, growth scores, percentile ranks, language age equivalents. PLS-5 scores range anywhere from 40-160 with the mean being 100 and an SD of 15. Higher percentile ranks are correlated with higher the levels of receptive vocabulary. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Receptive vocabulary assessment at 24 months24 months

Assess Receptive vocabulary based on the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) 5th Edition Parent Questionnaire. The scale accesses: Total language, auditory comprehension, expressive communication standard scores, growth scores, percentile ranks, language age equivalents. PLS-5 scores range anywhere from 40-160 with the mean being 100 and an SD of 15. Higher percentile ranks are correlated with higher the levels of receptive vocabulary. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Early language assessment at 24 months24 months

Assess early language (vocabulary, comprehension, production, gestures and grammar) based on the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). Two equivalent Words \& Sentences versions (Level IIA and Level IIB) contain a 100-word productive vocabulary checklist and a question about combining words, appropriate for children 16-30 months. The score is assessed in the amount of correct answers and measured in percentiles, from \<1th to 100th, depending on the child's age. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Early language assessment at 12 months12 months

Assess early language (vocabulary, comprehension, production, gestures and grammar) based on the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories (CDI). The Words and Gestures short form (Level I) is comprised of a 89-word vocabulary checklist with separate columns for comprehension and production, appropriate for children 8-18 months. The score is assessed in the amount of correct answers and measured in percentiles, from \<1th to 100th, depending on the child's age. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Receptive vocabulary assessment at 3 months3 months

Assess Receptive vocabulary based on the Preschool Language Scale-5 (PLS-5) 5th Edition Parent Questionnaire. The scale accesses: Total language, auditory comprehension, expressive communication standard scores, growth scores, percentile ranks, language age equivalents. PLS-5 scores range anywhere from 40-160 with the mean being 100 and an SD of 15. Higher percentile ranks are correlated with higher the levels of receptive vocabulary. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Parental behavior at 24 months24 months

StimQ is an interview-based instrument to assess the family cognitive environment. StimQ-toddler has four scale scores, which add up to the total StimQ Score. ALM Scale ranges 0-7, READING Scale Score ranges 0-18, PIDA Scale Score ranges 0-10, and PVR Scale Score ranges 0-4. The highest total StimQ Score is 39 and the lowest is 0.Higher StimQ scores are correlated with better parental behavior. StimQ-Toddler will be done up to 27 months. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Parental behavior at 12 months12 months

StimQ is an interview-based instrument to assess the family cognitive environment. StimQ-Infant has four scale scores, which add up to the total StimQ Score. ALM Scale ranges 0-6, READING Scale Score ranges 0-15, PIDA Scale Score ranges 0-7, and PVR Scale Score ranges 0-11. The highest total StimQ Score is 39 and the lowest is 0. Higher StimQ scores are correlated with better parental behavior. StimQ-Infant will be done up to 15 months. Administered by research assistant to female guardian.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Boston Medical Center

🇺🇸

Boston, Massachusetts, United States

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath