Using Consumer Preference Information to Increase the Reach and Impact of Media-Based Parenting Interventions in a Public Health Approach to Parenting Support

Abstract

Within a public health approach to improving parenting, the mass media offer a potentially more efficient and affordable format for directly reaching a large number of parents with evidence-based parenting information than do traditional approaches to parenting interventions that require delivery by a practitioner. Little is known, however, about factors associated with parents’ interest in and willingness to watch video messages about parenting. Knowledge of consumer preferences could inform the effective design of media interventions to maximize parental engagement in the parenting messages. This study examined parents’ preferred formats for receiving parenting information, as well as family sociodemographic and child behavior factors that predict parents’ ratings of acceptability of a media-based parenting intervention. An ethnically diverse sample of 162 parents of children ages 3–6 years reported their preferences for various delivery formats for parenting information and provided feedback on a prototype episode of a video-format parenting program based on the Triple P Positive Parenting Program. Parents reported the strongest preference for self-administered delivery formats such as television, online programs, and written materials; the least preferred formats were home visits, therapists, and multiweek parenting groups. Parents’ ratings of engagement, watchability, and realism of the prototype parenting episode were quite strong. Parents whose children exhibited clinical levels of problem behaviors rated the episode as more watchable, engaging, and realistic. Mothers also rated the episodes as more engaging and realistic than did fathers. Lower income marginally predicted higher watchability ratings. Minority status and expectations of future problems did not predict acceptability ratings. The results suggest that the episode had broad appeal across groups.

Effective Parenting Interventions to Reduce Youth Substance Use: A Systematic Review

“…7,18 In terms of preventing all 3 substances, 1 study showed efficacy at <12 months, 18 2 at 12 to 24 months, 18, 25 1 at 24 to 48 months, 18 and none at >48 months.…”

“…7 Practical questions of interest from the perspective of future implementers include the following: Who needs to be involved, for how long, in what settings, and through what means? However, to the best of our knowledge, no reviews have comprehensively examined the state of the evidence regarding targeted participants (parents only vs both parents and youth), minimal dosages required to achieve outcomes, ideal delivery settings (schools, community organizations, clinics, homes), and optimal delivery modalities.…”

“…8 In addition, although multiple modalities of program delivery are known to appeal to parents and increasing evidence supports the use of online prevention programming, few reviews have examined the state of the literature across delivery methods for parenting interventions focused on adolescent substance use prevention. 7,9 This systematic review therefore aims to assess the effectiveness of parenting interventions over the short and long term on reducing adolescent tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substance use and, secondarily, to describe effectiveness in relation to intervention characteristics (targeted participants, intervention dosage, delivery settings, and delivery method), using visual depictions of qualitative data summaries called harvest plots. These plots represent a novel approach to synthesizing the findings of systematic reviews focused on complex and heterogeneous interventions that cannot be combined into a metaanalysis.…”

Telephone-supported versus self-directed delivery of an online parenting program: Outcomes, mediators and moderators of change

“…Conversely, a recent trial of Triple P Online (Love et al, 2016) delivered to two cohorts of very vulnerable parents in a US context not only demonstrated significant improvements on child behaviour problems and coercive parenting, but with 36% and 51% of parents from the two cohorts completing all modules, completion rates compared favourably to reported levels of typical attendance at face-to-face parent training sessions (Breitenstein et al, 2014). These results give further weight to findings from consumer feedback studies that suggest parents find the notion of parenting support delivered via the internet preferable to most other formats, regardless of family background or circumstance (Metzler et al, 2012). As such, a secondary goal of the current study was to expand our knowledge of the suitability of Triple P Online for a wide range of families by exploring whether the program is effective when recruiting a targeted population of parents currently experiencing additional stressors, or family characteristics typically linked with lower program attendance.…”

“…There is a need for further investigation of such questions, as research suggests the internet is becoming an increasingly preferred source of information and support for parents. For example, a recent consumer preference study (Metzler et al, 2012) found that low intensity, self-directed formats, including television, the internet, and written materials, were rated as the most preferred format for receiving parenting information, over and above more intensive methods such as professional consultations, home visits, and parenting groups. Similarly, a review by Hall and Bierman (2015) found that roughly half of the parents interviewed within various studies reported a preference for accessing advice through the internet (Rothbaum, Martland, & Jannsen, 2008;Walker et al, 2012).…”