Developing the Technology-based Parenting Young Children Check-Up Intervention for Disruptive Behavior Problems in Early Childhood

Abstract

Behavioral parent training programs show clear efficacy/effectiveness in response to young children’s disruptive behavior problems, but limitations in engagement and accessibility prevent many families from benefiting from these programs. The Parenting Young Children Check-up (PYCC) is a technology-based program being created to overcome these barriers and increase the reach of behavioral parent training. Developed for use in pediatric healthcare settings, the PYCC includes three parts: 1) an initial check-up designed to motivate program involvement; 2) text messages; and 3) a parent training website involving interactive video-based content to teach parenting skills. Following an established intervention development framework, this report details initial steps to refine PYCC intervention materials. Seventeen mothers and 17 primary care physicians (pediatricians or family medicine physicians) participated in this mixed methods data collection across three iterations. During semi-structured interviews, participants provided feedback regarding early drafts of the three parts of the PYCC; participants also completed a feedback questionnaire. Refinements were made to the PYCC materials after iterations 1 and 2. A third iteration of data collection revealed saturation of qualitative input, positive qualitative feedback, and positive quantitative ratings on the feedback questionnaire. This project represents an example of using mixed method input to refine and create a technology-based, behavioral intervention. Project completion led to a full version of the PYCC, which will be tested in a proof-of-concept trial and a subsequent pilot randomized clinical trial.