Enhancing Fathers' Ability to Support their Preschool Child

描述(由申请人提供) 问题陈述：虐待(忽视和身体虐待儿童)在美国是一个不幸的普遍问题(MacMillan等人，1997年；世卫组织，1999年)。虽然相当多的经验支持表明，父母行为培训可以在改变不良适应父母行为方面提供实质性的好处，但父亲通常不参与这些干预，并对这些干预做出积极反应。拟议研究的目的：拟议研究的目的是开发一种新的干预措施，即父亲支持学龄前儿童成功方案(FSSP)，以防止在有虐待儿童风险的父亲群体中实施虐待儿童的行为。这项研究的具体目标包括：制定、完善和随后评估修订后的FSSP计划的有效性，并在治疗后和一个月的等待名单控制条件下，对初级(对父母行为、亲子关系的观察和自我报告，以及对儿童行为问题的观察和自我报告)、二级(父母对儿童行为的归因；父母养育压力；父母抑郁)结果以及参与程度(出勤率、退学治疗、家庭作业遵从性和消费者满意度)进行评估。我们假设FSSP计划将导致与等待名单条件相比的主要和次要结果的显著改善。此外，我们假设FSSP计划的参与度很高。方法：在第一年，我们将开发FSSP计划，该计划是由我们基于理论的防止父亲虐待儿童的模式以及FSSP潜在消费者的广泛投入共同推动的。初步的FSSP方案将在第二阶段更大的临床试验之前进行可行性和可接受性试验。第二阶段的研究将通过对100名父亲和他们的学龄前儿童进行随机临床试验，评估FSSP计划相对于等待名单控制条件对多种结果的影响(父亲自我报告以及观察父子互动)。本研究对主要结果的分析将包括随机回归分析，以及包括效应大小和调节因素分析在内的补充分析的基准。对预防的影响：根据我们的知识，这是为数不多的几种干预措施之一，能够提供多种理论驱动的适应循证育儿干预措施，以便让父亲参与到以育儿为重点的干预措施中并最大限度地提高结果。因此，从这项研究获得的数据将为预防虐待儿童领域提供关键信息，包括有效地从高危社区招募和留住父亲的方法，关于专门针对父亲的关键结构(例如，育儿)的描述性信息，以及帮助确定新的干预措施，如FSSP计划，是否可以影响与父亲虐待儿童相关的关键风险因素的变化。节目叙述虐待儿童在美国很普遍。不幸的是，尽管数据表明父亲经常参与虐待儿童的行为，但在预防工作中针对父亲的研究很少。这笔赠款是为了支持一项新的预防性育儿方案的发展，并评估该方案的初步效益，该方案以居住在社会经济条件不利的市中心社区的学龄前儿童的父亲为目标的高危群体为目标。如果成功，这一干预措施将解决公共卫生关注的一个未得到充分研究但却至关重要的领域--防止父亲在高危人群中虐待儿童。

Description (Provided by Applicant) Statement of the problem: Maltreatment (neglect and physical abuse of children) is an unfortunately prevalent issue in the United States (MacMillan et al., 1997; WHO, 1999). Although considerable empirical support demonstrates that Behavioral Parent Training can provide substantial benefit in altering maladaptive parenting behavior, fathers are not typically engaged in and respond as favorably to these interventions. Purpose of the proposed research: The purpose of the proposed research is to develop a novel intervention, the Fathers Supporting Success in Preschoolers (FSSP) program, to prevent the perpetration of child maltreatment in a population of fathers who are at-risk for child maltreatment. Specific aims of the study include: Developing, refining, and, subsequently evaluating the effectiveness of the revised FSSP program compared to a wait-list control condition at post-treatment and at one-month follow up on primary (observed and self-report of parenting behavior, parent-child relationships, and observed and parent-report of child behavior problems), secondary (parent attributions for children's behavior; parenting stress; parental depression) outcomes as well as measures of engagement (attendance, dropout from treatment, homework compliance, and consumer satisfaction). We hypothesize that the FSSP program will result in significant improvement on primary and secondary outcomes relative to the wait-list condition. In addition, we hypothesize high levels of engagement to the FSSP program. Methods: During year 1, we will develop the FSSP program, which is driven by both our theoretically-based model of prevention of father perpetration of child maltreatment as well as extensive input from potential consumers of the FSSP. The preliminary FSSP protocol will undergo a feasibility and acceptability trial prior to the stage two, larger clinical trial. The phase two study will evaluate the impact of the FSSP program relative to a wait-list control condition via a randomized clinical trial of 100 fathers and their preschool child on multiple outcomes (father self-report as well as observation of the father-child interactions). Analysis used in this study for the primarily outcomes will include Random Regression analyses, and benchmarking with supplemental analyses including effect size and moderator analyses. Implications for prevention: T our knowledge, this is one of the few interventions to provide multiple, theoretically-driven adaptations to evidence-based parenting interventions in order to engage fathers in and maximize outcomes following parenting focused interventions. As such, the data obtained from this study will provide critical information to the field of prevention of child maltreatment, including methods to effectively recruit and retain fathers from higher-risk communities, descriptive information on key constructs specifically for fathers (e.g., parenting), as well as assist in determining whether novel interventions, such as the FSSP program, can affect change in key risk factors associated father perpetration of child maltreatment. Program Narrative Child maltreatment is a prevalent occurrence in the United States. Unfortunately, despite data that demonstrate that fathers are often involved in perpetrating child maltreatment, very little research has been conducted on targeting fathers in prevention efforts. This grant is to support the development and evaluate the preliminary benefits of a novel preventive parenting program that targets an at-risk group of fathers-fathers of preschool children who reside in socioeconomically disadvantaged inner-city communities. If successful, this intervention will address an understudied, yet critical area, of public heath concern-the prevention of father perpetration of child maltreatment in an at-risk population.