Fast Track intervention effects on family formation

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Family Studies
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Conduct problems in childhood can have long-term impacts on adult life trajectories.
• Early interventions aim to mitigate negative developmental outcomes.
• Understanding intervention effects on family formation is crucial for long-term impact assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the long-term effects of the Fast Track intervention on adult family formation.
• To examine if intervention effects on family formation differ by gender and race/ethnicity.

Main Methods:

• A 10-year randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving children at risk for conduct problems.
• Follow-up to ages 32-34, assessing romantic partnerships, parenthood, and family structure.
• Statistical analyses controlling for covariates, with moderation analyses for gender and race/ethnicity.

Main Results:

• Intervention participants were more likely to be married and have more children than controls.
• No significant differences were found in cohabitation, age at first marriage, divorce, parenthood likelihood, birth spacing, or residential independence.
• Race/ethnicity moderated the intervention's effect on the probability and number of children.

Conclusions:

• The Fast Track intervention had limited effects on many aspects of adult family formation.
• Intervention effects on family formation were not moderated by gender but were by race/ethnicity.
• Early interventions may influence some family formation behaviors while leaving others unchanged.