Background

Recent studies indicate that parent education programs that include content to enhance parents’ mental states may prove efficacious in improving parenting behavior and child outcomes.

Objective

This study presents findings from a national evaluation of the Active Parenting First Five Years (FFY) program. This group-based parent education program utilizes a video-supported curriculum and is designed to promote responsive parenting and healthy development in children under the age of 5, with a unique emphasis on caregivers’ mental states (i.e., mindfulness, executive function) and parent well-being.

Method

A total of 213 (132 to test hypothesis 1) primary caregivers of children ages 0–4 participated. This study introduces a novel Inclusive Randomized Controlled Trial design for establishing treatment and comparison groups. Parent and child behavior were reported one month prior to the program beginning (Time 1/Control Survey), at the beginning of the program (Time 2/Pre-Survey), and at the conclusion of the program (Time 3/Post Survey).

Results

Pre- to post-test analyses showed significant increases in caregiver reported responsive parenting, developmental knowledge, parenting efficacy, mindfulness, overall positive child behavior, child prosocial behavior, and decreased parenting stress. Analysis of the treatment and control study groups detected group differences indicative of program effects for the parenting outcomes of mindfulness, parenting efficacy, and parenting stress.

Conclusions

These findings illustrate the initial effectiveness of the FFY program, the potential usefulness of the Inclusive Randomized Controlled Trial in community samples, and emphasize the need for parental well-being to receive increased consideration in parenting intervention designs and curricula.

中文翻译：

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强调响应式育儿和正念的父母教育计划的评估：一项包容性随机对照试验

背景

最近的研究表明，包括提高父母心理状态的内容在内的父母教育计划可以有效地改善父母的养育行为和儿童结局。

目的

这项研究提出了对“积极育儿前五年”（FFY）计划进行全国评估的发现。这个基于小组的父母教育计划利用视频支持的课程，旨在促进5岁以下儿童的自适应育儿和健康发展，并特别强调照顾者的心理状态（即正念，执行功能）和父母福利。

方法

共有213名（即132个检验假设1）0至4岁儿童的主要保姆参加。这项研究介绍了一种新颖的包含性随机对照试验设计，用于建立治疗和比较组。在计划开始前一个月（时间1 /控制调查），计划开始（时间2 /调查前）和计划结束（时间3 /调查后）报告父母和孩子的行为。 。

结果

测试前到测试后的分析表明，照护者报告的有反应的育儿，发育知识，育儿功效，正念，儿童总体积极行为，儿童亲社会行为和减少的育儿压力显着增加。对治疗和对照组研究组的分析发现了群体差异，这些差异表明了针对正念，育儿功效和育儿压力的育儿结果的计划效果。

结论

这些发现说明了FFY计划的初始有效性，社区样本的包容性随机对照试验的潜在用处，并强调了父母的幸福感需要在父母干预设计和课程中得到更多的考虑。