Trial of a Parenting Discussion Group in Panama, Central America

NCT ID: NCT01771068

Last Updated: 2013-01-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 108 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2012-04-30
• Study Completion Date: 2012-12-31

Brief Summary

The present study aims to examine the effectiveness of a parenting intervention, the Triple P Positive Parenting Program Level 3 discussion groups "dealing with disobedience". Triple P is a system of interventions to support families and was developed at the University of Queensland in Australia in the 1980's. As few studies have tested the effectiveness of parenting programs in developing countries, the present study took place in a developing country, Panama.

In a recent study carried out in Australia, this same intervention was found effective in reducing child behaviour problems and the use of dysfunctional parenting (Morawska, Haslam, Milne & Sanders, 2011).

Detailed Description

This is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) with two groups (waiting list versus Triple P discussion groups) and measurements at pre-intervention, post intervention, three and six months follow up.

The intervention trialed was a 2-hour, one-session discussion group on child noncompliance. Groups were composed by a maximum of 10 parents and were facilitated by the principal researcher, who is an accredited practitioner. The groups were interactive and discussion based, and a power point presentation with embedded-video clips were used to aid the facilitator. The key points that were covered in the discussion group included reasons for disobedience, parenting traps, encouraging good behaviour, and managing disobedience. Parents also received a workbook that included the content covered in the discussion group and 2 follow up telephone calls to check how they were doing after.

Participants were randomly assigned to a treatment group (Triple P discussion groups) or to a waiting list group. A statistician independent from the research team generated a random list of numbers. Randomization was stratified based on the level of child behavioural difficulties (high or low) measured at baseline. In order to ensure allocation concealment, sequentially-numbered, opaque, sealed envelopes (SNOSE) were opened after participants agreed to take part in the study and completed a baseline assessment. After randomization, those assigned to the waiting list group were assessed at time 1 (baseline) and then 4 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the first assessment. Those assigned to the treatment group were assessed at time 1 (baseline), 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months after the intervention. Assessments were carried out by a research assistant who was blind to group allocation.

Conditions

Child Behavioural and Emotional Difficulties; Parenting Practices

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Waiting list

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Parenting Discussion Group

Two-hour discussion group on child noncompliance. Groups were composed by a maximum of 10 parents and were facilitated by the principal researcher, who is an accredited practitioner. The groups were interactive and discussion based, and a power point presentation with embedded-video clips was used to aid the facilitator. The key points covered in the discussion group included reasons for disobedience, parenting traps, encouraging good behaviour, and managing disobedience. Parents also received a workbook that included the content covered in the discussion group and 2 follow up telephone calls to check how they were doing after the discussion groups.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Triple P Positive Parenting Program Discussion Group "Dealing with Disobedience"

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Interventions

Triple P Positive Parenting Program Discussion Group "Dealing with Disobedience"

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Participants must be Panamanian
• must have at least one child between 3 and 12 years old
• must report some level of difficulty in dealing with their child behaviour.

Exclusion Criteria

• no report of difficulty in dealing with child behaviour
• illiteracy

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 80 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Secretariat of Science, Technology and Innovation in Panama (SENACYT)

UNKNOWN

Sponsor Role: collaborator

University of Manchester

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Anilena Mejia

PhD Student

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

Anilena Mejia, MSc

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Manchester

Rachel Calam, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Manchester

Matthew Sanders, Professor

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

The University of Queensland

Locations

Ministry of Education, District of Panama

Panama City, Provincia de Panamá, Panama

Countries

Panama

Other Identifiers

PTY12

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id