Short-term Efficacy of Triple P on Child Behavior and Parenting Among Brazilian Parents

• In Event: 2-079 - Parenting in the Global South: From Theory to the Evaluation of Interventions

Integrative Statement

Introduction: Despite the fact that parenting programs are widely held as a strategy for increasing parenting competence and reducing child emotional and behavioral problems, few evidence-based interventions have been evaluated in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), such as Brazil, one of the largest countries in the world. The existing studies of parenting programs in Brazil suffer several limitations such as lack of assessments on consumers’ perspective, no randomized controlled research designs, and no measures assessing important outcome variables such as parenting practices and child behavioral problems. The present study addressed those gaps by evaluating the efficacy of an evidence-based parenting intervention (Level 4 Group Triple P Positive Parenting Program) with Brazilian parents. Nonetheless, when transporting a parenting program to another country, it is very important to take into consideration cultural norms, values of that country, political and religious factors because these are related to parenting and family practices. This is why this study also examined the cultural acceptability of this transported parenting intervention in Brazil.

Hypothesis: In comparison to a Waitlist control group, we hypothesized that parents who received the Level 4 Group Triple P program would report a reduction in negative parenting styles (overreacting, laxness and verbosity) as assessed by the Parenting Scale (PS), a decrease in child behavioral problems as assessed by the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES), a reduction in parents’ negative attribution for children’s behavior as assessed by the Parent’s Attributions for Child’s Behavior Measure (PACBM), and high cultural acceptability of the program as assessed with open questions adapted from the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ).

Study Population: Participants were N = 78 parents of children aged 2-12 years old from one city of the State of Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Methods: This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a group comparison methodology involving two conditions (Group Triple P intervention vs. Waitlist control group). Assessments were conducted at three time points (baseline, immediately at post-intervention and at 6 months follow up).

Results: We have completed baseline assessments (T1) and are in the final stages of collecting data from post-intervention (T2). In this presentation, we will present efficacy results from T1 to T2. Data will be analyzed using mixed between-within ANOVAs and MANOVAs to evaluate intervention effects following program completion. Qualitative data on cultural acceptability will be interpreted using thematic analysis. The present study is one of the few case examples of an RCT of a parenting intervention in a LMIC, and offers a unique contribution to understand the efficacy of a parenting program in Brazil. Collecting qualitative information directly from parents can also provide valuable insight for researchers and family services to tailor and develop parenting programs appropriate and relevant for Brazilian families.

Authors

• Mariajose L. C. Schulz, Parenting and Family Support Centre, The University of Queensland
  Presenting Author

• Divna Haslam, Parenting and Family Support Centre, The University of Queensland
  Non-Presenting Author

• Alina Morawska, Parenting and Family Support Centre, The University of Queensland
  Non-Presenting Author