Thrive Initiative Parent-Education Programming Study

Not Applicable

Not yet recruiting

• Conditions: Child Maltreatment; Parenting; Child Wellbeing

• Registration Number: NCT06823518
• Lead Sponsor: Penn State University

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Thrive Initiative's parent-education program delivery methods by comparing hybrid (i.e., a combination of online and group components) program delivery to online-only program delivery. The Thrive Initiative consists of four, universal parent-education programs that correpsond to specific child developmental periods. These programs inlcude: Take Root for parents/caregivers of 0-3-year-old children; Sprout for parents/caregivers of 3-5-year-old children; Grow for parents/caregivres of 5-10-year-old children; and Branch Out for parents/caregivers of 10-18-year-old children. The effectiveness of delivery method will be examined for each program. Eligible participants for this study will be United States Air Force service members or dependents who are caregivers of a child 0-18 years old. The study will involve randomization to condition meaning that participants will be assigned to the online-only or hybrid program delivery condition by chance.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study First Submitted: 2025-01-31
• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-02-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-02-06
• Study First Posted: 2025-02-12
• Last Update Posted: 2025-02-12
• Study Start: 2025-08-01
• Primary Completion: 2028-06-01
• Study Completion: 2028-12-31

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 480

Inclusion Criteria

• United States Air Force service member or dependent
• Parent/caregiver of a child 0-18 years old
• 18 years of age or older
• Willing to participate in the research study
• Has access to technology that will enable them to receive and respond to various technological aspects of the Thrive Initiative programs and research study
• Able to speak and understand English proficiently
• Able to understand and give consent

Exclusion Criteria

• Not an United States Air Force service member or dependent
• Not a parent/caregiver of a child 0-18 years old
• 17 years of age or younger
• Unwilling to participate in the research study
• Does not have access to technology that will enable them to receive and respond to various technological aspects of the Thrive Initiative programs and research study
• Unable to speak and understand English proficiently
• Unable to understand and give consent

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Ages & Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (2nd Edition)	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of child social-emotional development is administered for the Take Root and Sprout programs. The measure includes five domains (communication, gross motor, fine motor, problem-solving, and personal-social). Scores within each domain range from 0 to 60 with higher scores reflecting typical development.
Mindful Self-Care Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants' self-care strategies, in the domains of physical care, mindful relaxation, and supportive living and work enivronments and schedules, is administered for the Take Root program. Domain scores range from 1 to 4 with higher scores indicating greater engagement in self-care.
Positive Behavior Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of positive child behavior, which assesses the domains of social competence, compliance, and autonomy, is administered for the Take Root and Sprout programs. Domain scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating more positive behavior.
National Survey of Early Childhood Health - Discipline Items	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants discipline practices is administered for the Take Root and Sprout programs. Item scores range from 1 to 4 with higher scores reflecting more frequent use of the stated discipline practice.
Parenting Scale - Short Form	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of the participants' discipline orientation, which involves the domains of over-reactivity and laxness, is administered for the Sprout and Grow programs. Domain scores range from 1 to 7 with higher scores indicating greater over-reactivity or laxness.
Parenting Young Children Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants' positive parenting practices, which includes the domains of supporting good behavior, setting limits, and proactive parenting, is administered for the Sprout program. Domain scores range from 7 to 49 with higher scores indicating more frequent engagement in positive parenting practices.
Targeted Parent-Child Communication about Substances Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of the participants communication with their child about substances is administered for the Branch Out program. Scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating more explicit or intentional communication about substance use.
Parental Stress Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of parenting stress is administered for the Take Root, Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out programs. Scores range from 7 to 35 with higher scores indicating greater stress.
Outdoor Time Recall	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of a child's time spent playing outdoors is administered for the Sprout and Grow programs. Participants record, in minutes and hours, the amount of time their child spends playing outside. The lower bound is 0, and there is no specific upper bound. Higher scores reflect greater time spent playing outdoors.
Interpersonal Mindfulness in Parenting Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants use of mindfulness in their parenting is administered for the Grow program. Scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating greater incorporation of mindful practices in participants' parenting approach.
Parenting Sense of Competence Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of parenting efficacy and satisfaction is administered for the Take Root, Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out programs. For the efficacy domain, scores range from 9 to 54. For the satisfaction domain, scores range from 7 to 42. Higher scores indicate greater efficacy and satisfaction.
Co-Viewing Media & Screen Time Recall	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants' co-viewing behavior with their child and their child's screen time is administered for the Sprout program. Participants separately record the amount of time, in minutes and hours, they spend co-viewing media with their child and their child's screen time. The lower bound for the measure is 0, and there is no specific upper bound. Higher scores reflect greater time spent co-viewing media and greater screen time.
Healthy Habits Index	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants encouragement and support of healthy habits in their children is administered for the Grow program. Scores ranges from 1 to 5 with higher scores reflecting greater engagement in healthy behaviors.
Parental Emotional Styles Questionnaire	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants use of emotion regulation orientation is administered for the Grow program. Scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores reflecting an emotion-coaching, as opposed to an emotion-avoidant, parenting style.
Protective Factors Survey	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of protective factors for child maltreatment, which includes family functioning, emotional support, concrete support, and nurturing and attachment, is administered for the Take Root and Sprout programs. Scores for each factor range from 1 to 7 with higher scores reflecting greater protection.
Strengths & Difficulties Questionnaire	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of a child's behavior, which includes the domains of conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer problems, emotional symptoms, and prosocial behavior, is administered for the Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out programs. Domain scores range from 0 to 10. For domains related to externalizing and internalizing behaviors, higher scores indicate more problematic functioning. For the prosocial domain, higher scores indicate greater positive functioning.
Alabama Parenting Questionnaire - 9	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants' parenting behavior, which assesses the domains of positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, and poor parental monitoring, is administered for the Grow and Branch Out programs. Domain scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores reflecting more frequent positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, and poor parental monitoring.
Feeding Practices & Structure Questionnaire	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of the feeding behaviors and environment participants use with their children is administered for the Grow program. The specific domains assessed include using food as a reward for behavior and using rewards to encourage eating. Domain scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating more problematic feeding practices.
Socialization of Coping Questionnaire	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of participants encouragement of their child's development of different coping strategies, which includes the domains of primary control engagement and cognitive restructuring, is administered for the Grow program. Domain scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores reflecting greater encouragment of the indicated coping strategy.
Family Assessment Device - General Functioning	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of general family functioning is administered for the Branch Out program. Scores range from 1 to 4 with higher scores reflecting worse family functioning.
Parent-Adolescent Communication Scale	Baseline (2 weeks before intervention start), up to 6 weeks after intervention start, and 6 months after intervention end	This measure of parent-adolescent communication, which assesses the domains of open and problematic communication, is administered for the Branch Out program. Domain scores range from 1 to 5 with higher scores in each domain indicating more open and problematic communication patterns.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8	Up to 6 weeks after intervention start	This measure of participant satisfaction is adminstered for the Take Root, Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out programs. Scores range from 8 to 32 with higher scores reflecting greater satisfaction.
Program Noncompletion Reason(s) Survey	Up to 6 weeks after intervention start	This measure of program participation barriers is administered for Take Root, Sprout, Grow, and Branch Out. Participants select the most appropriate barriers from the list provided, and they are given the option to write in additional barriers not listed.