Generalizing findings from a randomized controlled trial to a real-world study of the iLookOut, an online education program to improve early childhood care and education providers’ knowledge and attitudes about reporting child maltreatment

Abstract

In recent years, real-world studies (RWS) are gaining increasing interests, because they can generate more realistic and generalizable results than randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT). In 2017, we published a RCT in 741 early childhood care and education providers (CCPs). It is the Phase I of our iLookOut for Child Abuse project (iLookOut), an online, interactive learning module about reporting suspected child maltreatment. That study demonstrated that in a RCT setting, the iLookOut is efficient at improving CCPs' knowledge of and attitudes towards child maltreatment reporting. However, the generalizability of that RCT's results in a RWS setting remains unknown. To address this question, we design and conduct this large RWS in 11,065 CCPs, which is the Phase II of the iLookOut. We hypothesize replication of the earlier RCT findings, i.e., the iLookOut can improve CCPs' knowledge of and attitudes toward child maltreatment reporting in a real world setting. In addition, this RWS also explores whether demographic factors affect CCPs' performance. Results of this RWS confirmed the generalizability of the previous RCT's results in a real world setting. It yielded similar effect sizes for knowledge and attitudes as were found in the earlier RCT. Cohen's d for knowledge improvement was 0.95 in that RCT, 0.96 in this RWS; Cohen's d for attitude improvement was 0.98 in that RCT, 0.80 in this RWS. Also, we found several

Child Maltreatment and Long-Term Physical and Mental Health Outcomes: An Exploration of Biopsychosocial Determinants and Implications for Prevention

“…However, studies have documented the complexities of this role with levels of selfefficacy, attitudes, knowledge, and experience of educators in this area influencing reporting behaviour [141]. Effective education and training to build the requisite professional capabilities for child maltreatment reporting have been documented [142][143][144] but it is not yet known how these translate to actual reporting outcomes, and these initiatives are yet to be widely disseminated [137,145].…”

Child maltreatment online education for healthcare and social service providers: Implications for the COVID-19 context and beyond

“…To date, systematic reviews by Carter, Bannon, Limbert, Docherty, and Barlow (2006)) and Turner et al (2017) provide two key pieces of information about educational interventions evaluated among HSSPs within and outside of Canada The first relates to a limited focus on certain types of HSSPs and certain types of child maltreatment. Specifically, interventions included in these reviews (and interventions that have been published since) have tended to focus on medical, nursing, midwifery, dental, and early childhood care providers in the United States (US), as well as recognition and response to child physical and sexual abuse among young children ( Carter et al, 2006 ; Kenny, 2007 ; Mathews et al, 2017 ; Palusci & McHugh, 1995 ; Paranal, Washington Thomas, & Derrick, 2012 ; Parker, McMillan, Olson, Ruppel, & Vieth, 2019 ; Rheingold et al, 2015 ; Smeekens et al, 2011 ; Turner et al, 2017 ; Yang et al, 2020 ). Importantly, few of these interventions have undergone high quality evaluations and it remains unclear as to whether or not any of these educational interventions yield reductions in the recurrence of the type(s) of child maltreatment investigated, nor is it clear whether the interventions yield improved health outcomes for children and their caregivers.…”

Design and evaluation of child abuse web-based application for parent education & strengthen

“…The effectiveness of educational interventions using an online software application to improve the knowledge and attitudes of parent and CCPs about reporting cases of child abuse was investigated in a study by Yang et al Educational content was provided to parents and CCPs using an online and interactive learning module about reporting child abuse. The results of the study showed that in a virtual environment, improved knowledge and attitudes of parent and CCPs about reporting cases of child abuse [ 43 ].…”