Increasing parent-child play frequency via exclusively online, video-based, peer-to-peer modeling program: randomized...

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Parenting Interventions
• Digital Health

Background:

• Parental play skills are crucial for child development.
• Online, asynchronous programs offer accessible solutions for enhancing these skills.
• This study evaluated the Power of Play Parent Intervention in Thailand.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a brief online play skill program on parent-child play frequency.
• To examine changes in parents' attitudes towards play.
• To determine the effect on children's screen time.

Main Methods:

• 112 parents of children aged 12-36 months were randomized into intervention and waitlist control groups.
• The intervention group received weekly 2-3 minute video clips for 6 weeks.
• Outcomes were measured at baseline, 6, and 10 weeks.

Main Results:

• The intervention group showed a significant increase in total parent-child play frequency at 10 weeks (Cohen's d = 0.38).
• Significant increases were observed in active physical play (SMD 0.73) and play with books (SMD 0.375).
• No significant changes were found in parents' attitudes towards play or children's screen time.

Conclusions:

• A concise, online parent play skill program can effectively increase parent-child play frequency and variety.
• The intervention, utilizing modeling and promoting positive interaction, remained effective one month after completion.
• This approach is valuable for time-constrained parents and can be integrated into pediatric practice.