Poster #163 - Preliminary Findings Evaluating a Group-Based Parenting Program Focused on Responsive Parenting, Self-Efficacy, and Mindfulness

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Prevention and Interventions

Integrative Statement

It is well established that the first years of a child’s life play a significant role in their developmental trajectory over the lifespan, and parents play a major role in this process. According to Kim (2015), parenting is a learned skill that can be strengthened and improved through education and experience. As noted in Morris et al. (2017), support obtained through group-based parenting programs reduces parental stress and builds confidence in parenting. This abstract introduces preliminary findings of a national evaluation currently being carried out on the parenting program Active Parenting – First Five Years (Popkin et al., 2017).

The Active Parenting – First Five Years program includes four interactive 2-hour sessions presented over a one-month period. This video-based intervention features a curriculum focused on positive, responsive parenting and child development. Each session is enhanced with activities for parents (e.g., stress reduction, parent skill building, self-care, mindfulness) and for parents to implement with their children (e.g., breathing and focusing, executive function, behavior inhibition). Sessions are led by trained and certified instructors with professional backgrounds in areas such as community extension, early childhood education, and infant mental health.

To evaluate Active Parenting – First Five Years, we collected pre- and post-group measures of parenting approaches and attitudes, self-efficacy, developmental knowledge, perceived stress, mindfulness, and child behavior for all participants. While data collection is ongoing, currently the sample includes 50 participants (39 mothers, 6 fathers, 5 grandparents; 64% Caucasian, 14% African American; 36% Hispanic; 26% single-parent; 80% earning less than $30,000 per year). In order to assess aspects of child behavior, participants reported on the behavior of one target child within the 0-5 age range (M age = 2.50) at both pre- and post- time points. Parents were also asked about their overall experience and impressions of the program in the post-survey.

Results of the evaluation are promising. As seen in Table 1, dependent sample t-test comparisons of pre- and post-test measures showed significant increases in responsive parenting, developmental knowledge, and parenting efficacy. In terms of child outcomes, significant increases were observed in child strengths, with significant decreases observed in hyperactivity. A marginal increase in prosocial behavior was also observed. Moreover, nearly all participants have rated their overall experience in the program as good (17.4%) or excellent (81.9%).

Current findings from this evaluation of the Active Parenting – First Five Years program indicate that this parenting intervention designed to improve parenting attitudes, executive function, and child behavior has had the intended positive effects on multiple parenting behaviors and child outcomes. With findings to this point showing promise, data is now being collected for a wait-list control group in order to enhance the reliability of this evaluation moving forward. Considering the results obtained from the population sampled for this study, this program could prove to be an effective intervention for serving low income, high risk families.

Authors

• Jens Erik Jespersen, Oklahoma State University
  Presenting Author

• Ruth S. Slocum, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Laura Hubbs-Tait, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jordan Love, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Cara D. Bosler, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Jennifer Hays-Grudo, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amanda Sheffield Morris, Oklahoma State University
  Non-Presenting Author