Promoting parents’ emotional functioning and positive parenting through mobile app-based application: A randomized controlled trial

• In Event: Teleheath Approaches to Fostering Positive Parenting, Child Regulation, and Sleep

Abstract

Chinese parents tend to use psychological control and pressure children to do well in school more than do parents in other cultures, with negative implications for children’s and their own emotional functioning (e.g., Wang et al., 2007). Evidence shows that intervention programs can lead to positive changes in parents’ cognitions, practices, and emotional functioning (e.g., Altafim et al., 2021; Jiang et al., 2022). This research aimed to promote Chinese parents’ use of positive parenting and emotional functioning through a mobile-app based intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic. With daily, evidence-based information and weekly self-reflection exercises, the mobile app was designed to support parents to adopt child-centered parenting and become reflective parents.

Participants were 978 Chinese parents (Mage = 40.94 years, SDage = 5.27; 88.3% female; 41.7% bachelor’s degree or higher; 80% full-time employment) recruited from elementary schools in Hong Kong. Parents completed a baseline survey, after which they were randomly assigned to the experimental or the wait-list control condition (see Table 1). The experimental group was then given the 5-week app-based intervention, at the end of which all parents completed the same survey again (post-test). The surveys assessed parents’ cognitions (attitudes toward parental autonomy support and psychological control, parenting efficacy), practices (use of autonomy support and control, use of mindful parenting), and emotional functioning (positive and negative affect, self-esteem, psychological distress).

Preliminary analyses based on independent t-tests and chi-square tests indicated that parents in the two groups did not differ on any variables at baseline. Moreover, participants who stayed in the study did not differ from those who dropped out (see Table 1 for attrition information). Main analyses were conducted using the intention-to-treat analytic approach, with data analyzed based on the assigned condition (similar results were obtained when we adopted the per-protocol approach, which took into account participants’ level of participation). Using repeated measure ANCOVAs with demographic variables (child age and gender; parent age, gender, educational attainment, and employment status) as covariates, we found significant Condition × Time interactions for parents’ attitudes toward parental autonomy support, F(1.99, 1638.09) = 15.39, p < .001, η2 = .18), attitudes toward parental control, F(1.98, 1633.18) = 15.39, p < .001, η2 = .18, use of parental control, F(1.95, 1612.46) = 3.47, p < .05, η2 = .004, and positive affect, F(1.99, 1636.31) = 5.53, p < .01, η2 = .007). Follow-up tests of simple effects showed that parents benefited from intervention as expected: Parents in the experimental (vs. wait-list control) group tended to hold more positive attitudes toward parental autonomy support, t = 0.12, p < 0.001, hold more negative attitudes toward parental control, t = -0.21, p < 0.001, use less psychological control, t = -0.09, p < .001, and experience more positive affect, t = 0.07, p < 0.01, from baseline to post-test (see Table 2).

Findings highlight the promise of mobile app-based intervention as a cost-effective way to promote positive parenting. The autonomy and time flexibility afforded by the mobile app make it particularly useful during the COVID-19 pandemic and suitable for busy parents who may have difficulties committing to a fixed schedule of face-to-face intervention.

Authors

• Yan Li, The Chinese university of Hong Kong
  Presenting Author

• Nga Lam Irene Sze

• Jenny Yau

• Florrie Fei-Yin Ng, Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)