Predictors of Attendance Patterns in a Universal Family-Based Preventive Intervention Program.

Area of Science:

• Family Studies
• Intervention Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Family-based preventive interventions show promise but struggle with sustained participant engagement and retention.
• Limited participant retention significantly restricts the potential population-level impact of these valuable programs.
• Understanding attendance patterns and associated factors is crucial for enhancing family retention in interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct patterns of family attendance across program sessions in the Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth Ages 10-14 (SFP 10-14).
• To examine individual, family, and sociodemographic predictors associated with different attendance patterns.
• To inform targeted strategies for improving family retention in preventive programs.

Main Methods:

• Latent class analysis was used to identify attendance patterns among families participating in the SFP 10-14 program.
• Data included youth and parents attending at least one program session together.
• Predictors of class membership included adolescent school bonding, peer involvement, and family socioeconomic status.

Main Results:

• Four distinct attendance patterns were identified: First-Session Attenders (7%), Early Attenders (9%), Declining-High Attenders (18%), and Consistent-High Attenders (66%).
• Adolescent school bonding was linked to higher attendance, while involvement with deviant peers and low family income predicted early dropout.
• Consistent-High Attenders represented the largest group, indicating a substantial core of engaged families.

Conclusions:

• Findings highlight the need for targeted retention strategies, such as involving school personnel and addressing barriers early.
• Leveraging the influence of consistently attending families may improve engagement for others.
• Restructuring program content to present critical information earlier could benefit families at risk of early dropout.