Removing the mystery: evaluation of a parent manual by adolescent parents

The purposes of this study were to (1) have adolescents evaluate a parent manual that had been developed specifically for parents of children from birth to age 3, and (2) modify the manual based upon the results of the evaluation. The manual was designed to be easily read and understood by parents with low education levels, the focus being to promote quality parent-child interactions. The study was designed to determine the usability of the manual by gathering information pertaining to format, readability, and content. Participants were between 14 and 18 years of age and were enrolled in a high school program for teenage mothers. Both written and verbal responses were collected and a qualitative approach was used to analyze the data. Results showed that overall comments about the manual were favorable; the manual was readable and usable by adolescent mothers of young children. However, responses indicated that the manual may not have been as relevant for adolescents expecting their first child. They suggested including more basic child-care information instead of primarily focusing on typical development and parent-child interactions. Participant recommendations were considered and the manual was revised.