Evaluating the Effectiveness of Parent Training Pamphlets: An Intervention Study Among Parents at Child Health Checkups.

Abstract

Parent training (PT) programs are recognized as effective interventions that enhance parenting techniques and improve the parent-child relationship. In Japan, these programs are increasingly implemented to help parents manage behavioral issues in children. This study evaluated the effectiveness of PT pamphlets designed and distributed in Shioya Town, Japan, by comparing outcomes between the intervention and control groups and within subgroups of parents, categorized based on their children's need for follow-up health checkups. The study included an intervention group that received PT pamphlets during their 1.5-year health checkups and a control group that did not. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires at the 3.5-year health checkups, assessing adherence to 3 recommended parenting techniques. The analysis focused on comparing intervention and control groups, evaluating adherence to 2 recommended parenting techniques versus one or none. The study also analyzed adherence to each recommended parenting technique within subgroups of parents whose children needed follow-up health checkups and those whose children did not. The study included 114 participants, with 55 in the intervention group and 59 in the control group. Analysis revealed that 29.1% of the intervention group adhered to 2 recommended parenting techniques, compared with 24.6% in the control group. However, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and control groups in adherence to 2 recommended techniques versus one or none, or to any single technique among the 3. Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in adherence among parents whose children were identified to have developmental concerns at the 1.5-year health checkup and were required to have follow-up checkups, specifically in the "avoid immediate reactions" approach between intervention and control groups. The PT pamphlets effectively increased adherence to recommended parenting techniques in the intervention group among children requiring follow-ups. This underscores the importance of culturally adapted PT programs and demonstrates the potential of simple educational interventions in improving parenting styles.