Stages of Parental Engagement in a Universal Parent Training Program

Abstract

This paper reports findings on parental engagement in a community-based parent training intervention. As part of a randomized trial, 821 parents were offered group-based Triple P as a parenting skills prevention program. Program implementation was conducted by practitioners. The intervention was implemented between Waves 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study, with a participation rate of 69% and a retention rate of 96%. The study finds that a practitioner-led dissemination can achieve recruitment and completion rates that are similar to those reported in researcher-led trials. Second, the study found that different factors are associated with the various stages of the parental engagement process. Family-related organizational and timing obstacles to participation primarily influence the initial stages of parental involvement. The strength of neighborhood networks plays a considerable role at the participation and completion stages of parental engagement. The general course climate and the intensity of program exposure predict the utilization of the program several months after the delivery.

Effects of a Universal Parenting Program for Highly Adherent Parents: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

“…One hundred forty-four of these the parents participated in wave 1 of the longitudinal study, meaning that background information is available. Eisner et al (2011) examined determinants of parental engagement. Results suggest that parents who engaged with the program were more likely to come from breadwinner families, to be Swiss, to have a high socio economic background, to have previously used parent services and to be highly integrated in neighborhood social networks.…”

Participación parental en intervenciones familiares para prevenir drogodependencias: una revisión empírica

“…In addiction, Barkley and colleagues (2000) found that parental education was a stronger predictor of parent participation than socioeconomic status or parental depression. More recent research had replicated most of these findings, particularly the positive relationship between parent's education level and attendance and the negative association between participation and family structure (singe-parent families), large number of children, low family income and larger family size (Quinn, Hall, Smith & Rabiner, 2010;Rienks, Wadsworth, Markman, Einhorn & Etter, 2011;Eisner & Meidert, 2011;Bloomquist at al., 2012). However, Eisner & Meidert, (2011) found that being a single parent was not linked to less parental participation.…”

“…More recent research had replicated most of these findings, particularly the positive relationship between parent's education level and attendance and the negative association between participation and family structure (singe-parent families), large number of children, low family income and larger family size (Quinn, Hall, Smith & Rabiner, 2010;Rienks, Wadsworth, Markman, Einhorn & Etter, 2011;Eisner & Meidert, 2011;Bloomquist at al., 2012). However, Eisner & Meidert, (2011) found that being a single parent was not linked to less parental participation. According to the authors, this finding indicates, "differences in the social integration of single parents in Europe and the United States, where being a single parent is more associated with social disadvantage and multiple risks than is the case in Germany or Switzerland (p. 91)".…”

“…These findings are in line with other research results showing that high attending parents participate in preventive interventions because they perceive several benefits from attending the sessions of the program. Nevertheless, a recent study found that parental views of their child's behavior problems were unrelated to family participation in a community-based parent training intervention (Eisner & Meidert, 2011). According to the authors, this contradictory finding with most studies conducted about this issue may be related to differences in communication and motivation strategies.…”

“…Some authors (e.g., Ingoldsby, 2010) define participation or on-going attendance as engagement. In addition, Eisner & Meidert (2011), describe parental engagement as a multistage process that involves four different stages, namely, enrollment, participation, completion and utilization. Dumas, Nissley-Tsiopinis & Moreland (2006), define engagement as "(…) the entire process whereby parents become involved in a preventive program, from stated intent to enroll to actual enrollment, attendance at sessions, and quality of participation (p.2)".…”