Determinants and Long‐Term Effects of Attendance Levels in a Marital Enrichment Program for African American Couples

Abstract

Although most efficacious marital enrichment programs are multisession, few studies have explored whether outcomes differ according to session attendance, particularly among minority groups with lower than average participation in prevention programs. This study therefore investigates attendance levels and long-term improvements in couple functioning among 164 couples participating in the Promoting Strong African American Families program. Structural equation models indicated session attendance predicted 2-year changes for men's reports of communication, commitment, and spousal support (marginally) but not for women's. Individual and couple characteristics that predicted attendance levels were also identified. Results highlight distinct gender differences in the effects of sustained attendance as well as characteristics that provide early identifiers for African American couples at increased risk of low program attendance.

The Protecting Strong African American Families Program: a Randomized Controlled Trial with Rural African American Couples

“…The proportion of couples attending all program sessions, 81%, was higher than rates observed among group-based prevention programs for families (Brown, Feinberg, & Kan, 2012), including those designed for African Americans (Brody, Murry, Chen, Kogan, & Brown, 2006). Attendance rates did not differ with respect to marital status, in contrast to previous studies in which cohabiting couples’ attendance was lower than that of married couples (e.g., Barton et al, 2015). Although attendance levels were generally encouraging, 20% of couples attended three or fewer sessions; this non-attendance emerged despite the no-cost, in-home delivery approach with sessions tailored to couples’ schedule.…”

Best Practices in Family Life Education Program Evaluation

“…Program evaluation studies often find that participants who enter programs with the greatest risks for problems benefit the most from the intervention (Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group, ; Hawkins et al, ). Evaluators should also consider key program moderators, such as the number of sessions attended or hours spent participating in the intervention, curriculum fidelity, and the participant–facilitator alliance (Barton et al, ; Futris, Sutton, & Duncan, ; Quirk, Owen, Inch, France, & Bergen, ). Strong logic models specify potential moderators that may strengthen or weaken program effects for various subgroups or participant experiences.…”

Best Articles of 2016: A Reflection of Our Values

“…The title of the article is, “Determinants and long‐term effects of attendance levels in a marital enrichment program for African American couples.” Barton et al. () examined individual and family characteristics that predict a sample of 164 African American couples’ likelihood to continuing attending a psychoeducational program titled, “Promoting Strong African American Families.” They also studied the beneficial effects of greater attendance. Comments regarding this paper included: “ … An exemplar of applied research with diverse populations.” “ … Marital enrichment research is generally based on white samples, so to study the effectivenesss of a program for African American couples is highly relevant, and makes an important contribution … ” “Excellent paper and study all around.…”

“…The title of the article is, "Determinants and long-term effects of attendance levels in a marital enrichment program for African American couples." Barton et al (2016) examined individual and family characteristics that predict a sample of 164 African American couples' likelihood to continuing attending a psychoeducational program titled, "Promoting Strong African American Families." They also studied the beneficial effects of greater attendance.…”