A Cluster Randomized Trial of Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®) With Swedish Preschool Children

Eninger, Lilianne; Ferrer-Wreder, Laura; Eichas, Kyle; Olsson, Tina M.; Hau, Hanna Ginner; Westling, Mara Allodi; Smedler, Ann-Charlotte; Sedem, Mina; Gull, Ingela Clausén; Herkner, Birgitta

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.695288

Cited by 10 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…The protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04512157) after the trial was completed. As noted, the overview of the PATHS program including details concerning the topics and dosage, as well as the results of the main outcome evaluation for this trial of PATHS and moderation analyses by gender has been reported elsewhere (Eninger et al, 2021;Ferrer-Wreder et al, 2021).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Table 3 shows the standardized interaction parameter estimates from the tested SEM models, and Table 4 shows the observed subgroup mean and standard deviations. The cut off for the interpretation of a substantive difference between subgroups was set as: (1) a standardized parameter estimate of an absolute value of ±0.20 or higher based on the benchmarks developed earlier intervention studies (e.g., Taylor et al, 2017;Eninger et al, 2021) and ( 2) the interaction effect should be within the range of the confidence intervals. Using this criterion and analysis approach, we found three interaction effects between PATHS (intervention/control) and preschool neighborhood income (advantaged/disadvantaged) with significant differences between the subgroups.…”

Section: H2: Intervention Moderation Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For a description of the PATHS logic model, see the EPISCenter (2011). Indeed, the recent effectiveness trial of PATHS R among Swedish preschool children (Eninger et al, 2021) showed several benefits in children's social emotional competencies (emotional knowledge, working memory and prosocial play) and an unexpected interventionrelated increase in hyperactive/impulsive behavior from pre to posttest. This trial (Eninger et al, 2021) utilized the same dataset that is analyzed in this article.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Indeed, the recent effectiveness trial of PATHS R among Swedish preschool children (Eninger et al, 2021) showed several benefits in children's social emotional competencies (emotional knowledge, working memory and prosocial play) and an unexpected interventionrelated increase in hyperactive/impulsive behavior from pre to posttest. This trial (Eninger et al, 2021) utilized the same dataset that is analyzed in this article. The original intervention trial (Eninger et al, 2021) focused primarily on intervention-related main effects and moderated intervention effects by children's gender.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This trial (Eninger et al, 2021) utilized the same dataset that is analyzed in this article. The original intervention trial (Eninger et al, 2021) focused primarily on intervention-related main effects and moderated intervention effects by children's gender. This study demonstrated largely consistent findings with the wider intervention efficacy and effectiveness research literature on preschool PATHS in the U.S. and other nations.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does attending preschool in an economically advantaged or disadvantaged neighborhood moderate the effects of the preschool edition of promoting alternative thinking strategies®?

et al. 2022

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Early interventions that foster the participation, engagement, and development of children attending preschools, including those in economically disadvantaged (low-income) neighborhoods, are of high priority. One such intervention is a universal socioemotional learning (SEL) program called Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS®) which aims to promote social emotional competence and positive adjustment in children, in general, and may have unique benefits for children attending preschool in low incomes areas. In the SEL field, areas in need of exploration include the possible role that neighborhood income level (i.e., all residents’ income in a postal code that a preschool is located in) could have for children’s social emotional competence and positive adjustment and how neighborhood income level may relate to benefits of an intervention such as PATHS. The study aims were to investigate 1) the baseline group differences in social emotional competence and adjustment depending on the neighborhood income level and 2) to determine if neighborhood income level moderated the effects of PATHS on children’s social emotional competence and adjustment from pre to posttest. Participants were 275 children aged four to five years old, from the preschools randomized into an immediate intervention (n = 145 children) or a wait-list control group (n = 130 children). Overall, 42.9% (n = 118) of the children attended preschools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods and 57.1% (n = 157) of the children attended preschools in economically advantaged neighborhoods. Children’s social emotional competence and adjustment were assessed through child tasks, child observations and teacher reports. The moderation of intervention effects by the preschools’ neighborhood income was tested in a series of just-identified structural equation models (SEM) that explored interaction effects (income*PATHS interactions). At baseline, relative to children attending preschool in economically advantaged preschools, children attending preschool in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods showed lower levels of inhibitory control, working memory, task orientation and higher levels of inattention. Children attending preschools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods participating in PATHS also showed reductions in inattention, social withdrawal and anxiety compared to control group children also attending preschool in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Additionally, PATHS children from advantaged neighborhoods improved their prosocial behavior, but not their social independence, relative to control group children who also attended preschool in advantaged neighborhoods. Offering PATHS as an SEL intervention in early childhood education and care settings could help to reduce disparities among children in a number of key outcomes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: H2: Intervention Moderation Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%