Parents Make the Difference II: Trial of a Parenting Intervention

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Child Abuse; Parenting
• Interventions: Behavioral: Parents Make the Difference; Behavioral: Parents Make the Difference Plus

• Registration Number: NCT02852291
• Lead Sponsor: Duke University

Brief Summary

Multisite randomized trial of a parenting intervention in Liberia for caregivers of young children. Two main objectives of the "Parents Make the Difference" program are to teach parents (a) skills for decreasing harsh punishments and replacing those with positive ways to manage children's behavior and (b) skills for having more positive interactions with their children, including interactions that encourage learning. As a result of positive changes in parenting, the investigators expect that, over time, children's behavioral and cognitive well-being will improve and that future abuse and poor developmental outcomes will be prevented in the long-term.

Detailed Description

This is a multisite randomized trial of a parenting intervention in Liberia for caregivers of young children. The "Parents Make the Difference" program is designed to teach parents (a) skills for decreasing harsh punishments and replacing those with positive ways to manage children's behavior and (b) skills for having more positive interactions with their children. As a result of positive changes in parenting, the investigators expect that, over time, children's behavioral and cognitive well-being will improve and that the intervention will prevent future abuse and poor developmental outcomes in the long-term. This study will randomize 816 caregivers of children ages 3 or 4 years to 1 of 3 study arms: standard group program, group program plus home visits, waitlist control.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2016-03
• Study First Submitted: 2016-03-07
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-07-28
• Study First Posted: 2016-08-02
• Primary Completion: 2016-12
• Study Completion: 2016-12
• Status Verified: 2024-07
• Last Update Submitted: 2024-07-15
• Last Update Posted: 2024-07-17

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 201

Inclusion Criteria

• caregiver of child ages 3 or 4
• live within catchment area of each study site
• caregiver is at least 18 years old

Exclusion Criteria

• does not live with child

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Parents Make the Difference	Parents Make the Difference	Parents Make the Difference (Caregivers attend 10 group parent training sessions)
Parents Make the Difference Plus	Parents Make the Difference Plus	Parents Make the Difference Plus (Caregivers attend 10 group parent training sessions and receive 3 home visits)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Caregiver use of harsh discipline practices; assessed using Discipline Interview, Locally-derived items	1 month post treatment	Extent to which caregivers engage in harsh discipline practices
Parent-Child Interactions (Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire; Locally-derived items assessing positive interactions)	1 month post treatment	Quality of parent-child relationships and interactions

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Caregiver use of harsh discipline practices; assessed using Discipline Interview, Locally-derived items	12 months post treatment	Use of harsh discipline practices, including physical and verbal strategies
Parent-Child Interactions (Parental Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire; Locally-derived items assessing positive interactions)	12 months post treatment	Quality of parent-child relationships and interactions
Child social-emotional development and functioning: Ages and Stages Questionnaire; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: emotion problems and peer problems subscales	1 and 12 months post treatment	Indicators of child emotional problems and problems in peer relationships
Child behavior: Locally-derived measure of disruptive/non-compliant behaviors; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (conduct problems subscale)	1 and 12 months post treatment	Frequency of disruptive behaviors / SDQ items related to behavioral problems
Parental Stress: Parental Stress Scale	1 and 12 months post treatment	Level of caregiver parenting-related stress
Caregiver mental health: General Health Questionnaire (subscale A), Patient Health Questionnaire-9	1 and 12 months post treatment	Indicators of caregiver mental health symptoms
Parental knowledge of child development: Locally-derived scale	1 and 12 months post treatment	Locally relevant indicators of parental knowledge about child development
Marital relationship quality: selected items from Conflict Tactics Scale and locally-derived scale of marital relationship quality	1 and 12 months post treatment	Indicators of quality of marital interactions, including relationship violence
Handwashing Behavior Indicators (e.g., access to hand washing station)	1 and 12 months post treatment	Basic indicators of hand washing behavior and resources
Child cognitive skills (verbal ability); assessed with a story comprehension task and instruction-following task	1 and 12 months post treatment	Child verbal abilities (brief assessment)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

International Rescue Committee; 🇱🇷 Monrovia, Liberia