A meta‐analytic review of the implementation characteristics in parenting interventions to promote early child development

Abstract

This review summarizes the implementation characteristics of parenting interventions to promote early child development (ECD) outcomes from birth to 3 years. We included 134 articles representing 123 parenting trials (PROSPERO record CRD42022285998). Studies were conducted across high‐income (62%) and low‐and‐middle‐income (38%) countries. The most frequently used interventions were Reach Up and Learn, Nurse Family Partnership, and Head Start. Half of the interventions were delivered as home visits. The other half used mixed settings and modalities (27%), clinic visits (12%), and community‐based group sessions (11%). Due to the lack of data, we were only able to test the moderating role of a few implementation characteristics in intervention impacts on parenting and cognitive outcomes (by country income level) in the meta‐analysis. None of the implementation characteristics moderated intervention impacts on cognitive or parenting outcomes in low‐ and middle‐income or high‐income countries. There is a significant need in the field of parenting interventions for ECD to consistently collect and report data on key implementation characteristics. These data are needed to advance our understanding of how parenting interventions are implemented and how implementation factors impact outcomes to help inform the scale‐up of effective interventions to improve child development.

Using Implementation Research to Inform Scaling of Parenting Programs: Independently Conducted Case Studies from Zambia and Bhutan

“…For example, the intensity or dosage of contacts with parents is critical: it may need to be higher for parents who are not yet engaging in responsive stimulation. The inclusion of behavior change strategies built around active learning may be necessary [12]. These strategies include showing parents a new game to play with their child using home-available materials, such as cloth, cups, and sticks, letting parents practice playing the game with their child during the session and offering positive and constructive feedback to the parent.…”

“…Based on previously published measures of delivery quality [16,18], qualities found to be important in changing parenting practices are listed. Ten qualities concern specific activities related to active teaching/learning, known as behavior change techniques [12]. They include introducing a new play or communication activity, demonstrating the activity, giving parents an opportunity to practice the new activity with their child, and coaching them on the new practice.…”

Promoting family wellbeing through parenting support in ECEC services: parents' views on a model implemented in Ireland

“…A common goal has been to promote better outcomes for children or families as a whole (Devaney and Crosse, 2023), which can include a focus on improving parent-child interaction, the nurturing care a child receives, and parents' and families' wellbeing (WHO, 2022). Positive outcomes associated with parenting interventions during early childhood have been found regarding children's cognitive, social, emotional and behavioural outcomes, and caregivers' parenting practices and knowledge, and psychosocial health (Barlow et al, 2002(Barlow et al, , 2016Jeong et al, 2021;Ahun et al, 2024).…”