Creating Connections: A Parenting Intervention Adapted for Tablet and Text Delivery

• In Event: 2-047 - Making an App for That: Initial program creation and evaluation of technology-based parent guidance programs

Integrative Statement

Young children in poverty are at risk for multiple poor outcomes as a function of correlates of poverty, and parents are multi-stressed (Yoshikawa, Aber, & Beardslee, 2012; Engle & Black, 2008). Research shows that interventions targeting improved interactions between parents and their children demonstrate the strongest impacts on development (Landry, Smith, Swank, & Guttentag, 2008; Love, et al., 2005). In specific, mother-infant interactions in the earliest period of childhood predicts resiliency for poor children in later academic-related outcomes, like early literacy (Dodici, Draper, & Peterson, 2003; Weisleder & Fernald, 2013). However, intervention in the earliest weeks and months of life is often inhibited by mobility and access, particularly for low-income families (Feil, et al., 2008). Adaptations of parenting interventions that utilize mobile technology help buffer many of these obstacles.

The current presentation describes Creating Connections, a tablet-based module that new mothers access at their children’s well-child checkups within the first two weeks of life. In this investigation, mothers (n = 71) were randomized to a literacy intervention (n = 20), an infant soothing intervention (n =15), a combined literacy and infant soothing intervention (n = 16), or standard of practice control (n = 20). All interventions included a brief (<15 minutes), tablet-based module discusses the importance of early bonding then discussed early literacy and/or infant soothing. Mothers also received board books and swaddle blanket. For four months, mothers received weekly text messages tailored to their families. At the end of four months, the research team visited families to conducts assessments of parental mental health, parent-child bonding, early development, and early literacy outcomes. Participant families were generally poor (82% reported annual family income below $30,000), African American (90 %), and reported moderate rates of depression at baseline on the PROMIS depression screener (M=8.35, SD=2.22, min=6.00, max=16.00). Overall, depression significantly improved in this sample from baseline to follow-up (t [68] = 8.17, p<.001), but not as a function of the intervention.

Participants were likely to read the text messages (64% reported reading them) and 100% of those who read the text messages reported that the text messages were helpful in offering tips for the early weeks and months of parenting. Mothers with mental health problems were less likely to report reading the text messages (F=4.72, p=.05, ΔR2= .32). Findings from the observed visit conducted when infants were 4 months old suggest that families who received the literacy intervention (n = 36) had more books in their homes (n = 36; ×2=3.60, p=.05) as compared to control. During a free play task, mothers who received any intervention condition (n = 51) spoke more overall to their infants (F=5.54, p=.03, ΔR2= .27) and used more infant-directed speech (F=5.87, p=.03, ΔR2= .28) than the control condition, controlling for maternal depression. Overall, findings from this study provide preliminary support for the effectiveness of a brief, tablet-based intervention and associated text messages in boosting mother-infant bonding and early literacy outcomes; providing early support for the positive potential of technology-based interventions.

Authors

• Giovanna Savastano, Wayne State University
  Presenting Author

• Tina O'Neal, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Patricia Richardson, Stanford University School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lucy (Kathleen) McGoron, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Madison Broadwell, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Erika London Bocknek, Wayne State University
  Non-Presenting Author