Transported Versus Homegrown Parenting Interventions for Reducing Disruptive Child Behavior: A Multilevel...

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Disruptive behavior problems in children pose significant risks for oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.
• These behavioral issues create a substantial burden on individuals and society.
• Decisions regarding interventions often involve choosing between imported or homegrown programs, with limited comparative data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a comprehensive comparison of the effectiveness of transported (imported) versus homegrown (local) parenting interventions.
• To analyze the differential effectiveness across various intervention brands and geographical regions.

Main Methods:

• A multilevel meta-regression analysis was conducted on 129 randomized trials, encompassing 374 effect sizes.
• Trials were identified through systematic review searches in multiple databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE) and direct database searches.
• The primary outcome measured was the mean difference in effectiveness between transported and homegrown interventions in reducing disruptive child behavior.

Main Results:

• Transported and homegrown parenting interventions demonstrated comparable effectiveness in reducing disruptive child behavior (d = 0.10, not significant).
• This finding remained consistent across different intervention brands and geographical regions.
• While some trials in Hong Kong, Iran, and Panama showed promise for transported interventions in non-Western countries, one trial in Indonesia yielded different results.

Conclusions:

• Parenting interventions yield similar outcomes regardless of whether they are transported or homegrown, provided they share foundational principles.
• The selection of parenting interventions should prioritize their evidence base over cultural specificity.
• This supports a global approach to evidence-based parenting support.