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Engagement Measures in Maltreatment Prevention Studies: A Scoping Review
Deborah J Moon1, C Bailey Nichols1, Yiran Zhang2
1University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Trauma, Violence & Abuse
|August 26, 2023
Summary
Caregiver engagement in maltreatment prevention programs is crucial but challenging to measure. This review found most studies focus on behavioral engagement, with limited validated tools for attitudinal or relational aspects.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Social Work
- Psychology
Background:
- Engaging caregivers in prevention services is vital for public health, aiming to build protective factors and reduce child maltreatment risk.
- Challenges exist in effectively engaging caregivers, necessitating better understanding of measurement in prevention programs.
- Measurement studies are foundational for improving caregiver engagement knowledge in prevention services.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a scoping review on how family engagement is measured and operationalized in studies of maltreatment prevention and positive parenting programs.
- To investigate the methodologies used to assess caregiver engagement across different domains.
- To identify gaps in the measurement of caregiver engagement in prevention research.
Main Methods:
- Scoping review of quantitative and mixed-methods studies conducted in the U.S.
- Searched multiple databases including PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, PsycINFO, Social Work Abstracts, Academic Search Premier, and Web of Science.
- Included 88 studies that measured multiple dimensions of client engagement (behavioral, attitudinal, relational).
Main Results:
- Studies assessed engagement across behavioral, attitudinal, and relational domains, with a predominant focus on behavioral engagement.
- Attitudinal and relational engagement were primarily measured using general satisfaction surveys; validated measures were scarce.
- Most studies reported acceptable internal reliabilities, but few reported other psychometric qualities, with only one validated measure for provider cultural competence found.
Conclusions:
- Current measurement of caregiver engagement in maltreatment prevention programs is limited, particularly for attitudinal and relational dimensions.
- There is a need for more measurement studies to develop and utilize validated tools assessing multiple engagement dimensions.
- Developing tailored implementation strategies requires robust measurement to effectively engage diverse parent groups in prevention programs.
