A Brief Intervention in Primary Care to Improve Parents' Discipline Practices and Reach Other Caregivers

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Parenting Interventions
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Effective discipline strategies are crucial for child development.
• Low-income families often face unique challenges in accessing parenting resources.
• Pediatric clinics can serve as effective venues for disseminating health information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief handbook intervention on healthy discipline practices.
• To assess the reach of the intervention beyond the primary caregiver.
• To determine the impact of the intervention on specific parenting behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A handbook on healthy discipline was provided to parents of children aged 6 months to 10 years in a low-income pediatric clinic.
• A brief introduction to the handbook was delivered by a research assistant.
• Follow-up surveys were administered 2-4 months later to assess handbook use and reported changes in discipline.

Main Results:

• 63% of parents reported the handbook helped improve their discipline practices.
• Reported changes included increased talking/explaining (25%), redirecting (7.8%), patience (6.0%), and decreased anger/yelling (10.8%) and spanking (7.5%).
• 42% of parents shared the handbook with other caregivers, friends, relatives, or children.

Conclusions:

• A brief, clinic-based handbook intervention is effective in improving parents' discipline strategies.
• The intervention successfully reached and influenced other caregivers, extending its impact.
• This approach offers a scalable method for promoting healthy discipline in underserved communities.