From Intent to Enrollment, Attendance, and Participation in Preventive Parenting Groups

Abstract

Applying the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to the process of engagement in preventive parenting groups, we tested the ability of family and child measures to predict intent to enroll, enrollment, attendance, and quality of participation in PACE (Parenting Our Children to Excellence). PACE is a prevention trial testing the efficacy of a structured program to promote effective parenting and reduce risk of adverse child outcomes. Mothers of preschoolers (N = 451) from diverse ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds participated at two sites. Results showed that mothers who stated their intent to enroll reported relatively few time constraints but high levels of stress, as did mothers who enrolled. The latter also experienced elevated levels of oppositional defiant child behaviors, indicating that the program reached families who stood to benefit from it. Attendance, which was also best predicted by few time constraints, was high (with 49% of mothers who enrolled attending 5 or more of 8 sessions). In turn, attendance predicted quality of participation (at 1 site only), with mothers attending more sessions participating more actively and enthusiastically. Ethnicity and, with a few exceptions, socioeconomic circumstances and site, were not significant predictors of intent, enrollment, or attendance. Results provide qualified support for the TPB and illustrate its relevance to preventive research and interventions.

Effects of a Universal Parenting Program for Highly Adherent Parents: A Propensity Score Matching Approach

“…Thus, studies generally find that only around 15-30% of the target population enroll for program participation, and that often only about 50% of those who have enrolled effectively fully comply with the intervention (Dumas et al 2007;Dumka et al 1997;Haggerty et al 2002;Heinrichs et al 2005;Morawska and Sanders 2006;Spoth et al 2000). Such low exposure rates mean that treatment effects become highly diluted amongst the intended target group, and that an intention-to treat analysis of a randomized experiment yields results that are of limited value.…”

Predicting Participation in Group Parenting Education in an Australian Sample: The Role of Attitudes, Norms, and Control Factors

“…For instance, in a study of 1,121 families' involvement in a parenting skills intervention, Spoth et al (1997) found that inclination to participate (i.e., intention) in the intervention predicted subsequent enrollment. Similarly, in an example of 451 mothers of preschoolers, Dumas et al (2007) found that intent to enroll was the best predictor of enrollment in a program promoting effective parenting. A number of studies suggest the 5 importance of socio-demographic factors in decisions to participate in parenting education (e.g., Perrino et al, 2001;.…”

Conceptualizing Culturally Infused Engagement and Its Measurement for Ethnic Minority and Immigrant Children and Families

“…The theory of planned behavior model (TPB) (Ajzen 1991) has been applied widely to predict engagement in health behaviors (Armitage and Conner 2001) and services (Dumas et al 2007), suggesting its relevance as a model for examining individuals' engagement in mental health services. According to the TPB, behaviors are largely determined by the individual's intention to perform a behavior, where intentions are a function of three domains: (a) the individual's attitude toward the behavior, (b) the subjective norms associated with the performance of the behavior, and (c) the individual's perception of efficacy in performing the behavior (Ajzen 1991).…”