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Measuring participation in a prevention trial with parents of young children
Christine Garvey1, Wrenetha Julion, Louis Fogg
1Rush University, College of Nursing, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA.
Insights
Parent participation in preventive parent training (PT) trials is low, with only 39% of sessions attended. Engagement in PT is linked to better parent and child outcomes, highlighting the need for attendance support.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Parent training programs aim to improve child behavior and parenting skills.
- Low-income families often face barriers to accessing and participating in interventions.
- Understanding participation patterns is crucial for optimizing clinical trial effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine parent participation (enrollment, attendance, engagement) in a preventive parent training (PT) clinical trial.
- To identify factors associated with parent attendance and engagement in PT.
- To explore the relationship between participation levels and intervention outcomes.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of enrollment and attendance data from a clinical trial of preventive parent training.
- Assessment of parent engagement during PT sessions.
- Statistical analysis to determine factors influencing attendance and engagement.
Main Results:
- Average enrollment rate was 34.9%, with higher rates in control centers.
- Parents attended an average of 39% of PT sessions.
- Higher attendance correlated with lower parenting self-efficacy, more child behavior problems, and attending the first session.
- Engagement in PT was linked to improved parent and child outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Parent attendance in PT is associated with perceived need for support.
- Focusing resources on ensuring attendance at the first PT session is recommended.
- Interventions should address barriers to sustained parent participation for optimal outcomes.
Abstract:
This paper describes parent participation in a clinical trial of preventive parent training (PT) targeting low-income parents of young children. Participation encompassed enrollment, attendance, and engagement. Average enrollment rate was 34.9%, although enrollment rates were significantly higher in the control (39.1%) than in the intervention (30.6%) centers. Parents attended an average of 39% of the PT sessions. Higher attendance was associated with lower parenting self-efficacy, more parent-reported child behavior problems, and attending the first PT session. Level of engagement in the PT sessions was related to improvements in parent and child outcomes. Findings suggest that attendance is linked to parent perceived need for help and that resources should be focused on ensuring parent attendance at the first intervention session.
