Understanding the role of parents' social connectedness in children's behavioral wellbeing in low-income communities

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PROJECT SUMMARY Group-based parent-training (PT) is one of the most common and well-established approaches for strengthening parenting skills and reducing child behavior problems. When offered in school settings, the social connections formed among parents attending group-based PT may generate additional benefits for parents, schools, and children. Defined as the sense of belonging and trust one has within a network of people beyond their close family or friends, social connectedness (SC) may be an important, though little understood, mechanism underlying group-based PT efficacy. SC formed in the context of group-based PT may be particularly important for low-income parents, who are more likely to report social isolation than higher income peers, and for schools challenged with high rates of child behavior problems and low rates of parent engagement. This proposed clinical trial research experience will examine the extent to which group-based PT, delivered in elementary schools serving predominantly low-income students and families, generates SC among parents and if SC is associated with a) greater parent engagement in their child’s education and b) fewer child behavior problems. Using a prospective descriptive design, this mixed-methods study is nested within an ongoing quasi-experimental parent study evaluating the group-based PT intervention, the Chicago Parent Program (CPP) in Baltimore City Public Schools. The study will recruit 150 parents enrolled in CPP groups and their child’s teachers to examine theoretically salient predictors of SC; describe the degree of SC formed among PT group participants; and evaluate SC as a potential mechanism mediating the relationships between parents’ a) PT group participation and b) engagement in their child’s education and child behavior problems. A subsample (n=20) of parents will also complete individual qualitative interviews in order to understand their perspectives on SC formed in the context of the PT group. The following aims will be addressed: 1: Examine predictors of SC in group-based PT, 2: Examine the extent to which SC formed in the context of the PT group is associated with a) parents’ engagement in their child’s education and b) decreases in child behavior problems, 3: Explore SC as a potential mechanism for enhancing the benefits of group-based PT in school settings, and 4: Explore parents’ perceptions and experiences of SC from their participation in the PT group. The proposed study uses multiple methods and informants to understand the potential mechanisms underlying PT group effects and aligns with the NINR’s research priorities of health disparities and health equity by addressing behavioral and health promotion in economically and socially disadvantaged families. Additionally, this dissertation study marks the foundation of the applicant’s career dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of children and families in low-income communities through evidence-based, multi-generation programs.