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INSIGHT responsive parenting intervention effects on child self-regulation at ages 3 and 6 years

Erika Hernandez Acton1, Elizabeth Kubiniec2, Sakshi Bhargava3

  • 1School of Management, Binghamton University.

Developmental Psychology
|September 26, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Responsive parenting (RP) intervention for obesity prevention improved children's self-regulation skills. Early RP positively impacted emotion regulation and reduced negative affect by age 6.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Behavioral Psychology
  • Public Health Interventions

Background:

  • Self-regulation is crucial for development, encompassing behavioral, cognitive, and emotional control.
  • Responsive parenting (RP) is a key factor in fostering child self-regulation and positive developmental outcomes.
  • Early life interventions can influence long-term self-regulation and behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the long-term effects of an early-life responsive parenting (RP) intervention on child self-regulation and temperament.
  • To determine if an RP intervention, initially designed for obesity prevention, impacts later emotional and behavioral regulation in children.
  • To analyze the sustained impact of RP on children up to middle childhood.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized clinical trial comparing an RP intervention group (n=279) with a control group.
  • RP intervention delivered through home visits and clinical/phone follow-ups during the first 2.5 years of life.
  • Child self-regulation and temperament assessed via behavioral tasks and parent-report questionnaires at ages 3 and 6 years.

Main Results:

  • Children in the RP group exhibited significantly lower parent-reported negative affect at age 6 (b = -0.34, p = .023).
  • Observed emotion regulation was significantly better in the RP group at age 6 (b = 0.45, p = .007).
  • The RP intervention demonstrated a positive influence on emotional aspects of self-regulation in middle childhood.

Conclusions:

  • An early-life responsive parenting intervention, aimed at obesity prevention, effectively promoted emotional self-regulation in middle childhood.
  • Responsive parenting serves as a viable strategy for fostering healthy behaviors across multiple developmental domains.
  • Findings underscore the lasting benefits of early parental support on child self-regulation and emotional well-being.

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