Enhancing Engagement of Fathers in Web-Based Preventive Parenting Programs for Adolescent Mental Health: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Abstract

Few fathers enrol in web-based preventive parenting programs for adolescent mental health, despite the evidence of the benefits associated with their participation. To inform the development of father-inclusive programs, this study used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) design to determine (a) the relative influence of number of sessions, program benefits, program participants, and user control over program content on fathers’ preferences for web-based preventive parenting programs; and (b) whether selected father characteristics were associated with their preferences. One hundred and seventy-one fathers completed the DCE survey, which comprised 25 choices between hypothetical programs. Programs that included the participant’s adolescent child (z = 10.06, p < 0.0001), or parenting partner (z = 7.30, p < 0.001) were preferred over those designed for fathers only. Participants also preferred program content that was recommended for them by experts (z = −4.31, p < 0.0001) and programs with fewer sessions (z = −2.94, p < 0.01). Program benefits did not predict fathers’ choice of program. Prior use of a parenting program, level of education, perceived role of parenting for adolescent mental health, and being part of a dual-working family were associated with preferences. Application of these findings may improve paternal enrolment in web-based preventive parenting programs.

Embedding Technology-Assisted Parenting Interventions in Real-World Settings to Empower Parents of Children With Adverse Childhood Experiences: Co-Design Study (Preprint)

“…This finding highlights the design's accessibility and adaptability, and appeared to empower parents to creatively engage with the content to facilitate reflection and understanding between themselves and their children. This finding is also consistent with prior research, which has found that fathers prefer web-based parenting programs that also involve their adolescent child [66]. Future research may thus consider involving both parents and children as co-designers to explore how parenting programs can be used to simultaneously facilitate both parent and child learning and foster connection and understanding between parents and children.…”