Parental Engagement in Preventive Parenting Programs for Child Mental Health: a Systematic Review of Predictors and Strategies to Increase Engagement

Overview

Journal PeerJ

Specialties Biology
Environmental Health
General Medicine

Date 2018 May 3

PMID 29719737

Citations 33

Authors

Samantha J Finan

Brooke Swierzbiolek

Naomi Priest

Narelle Warren

Marie Yap

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Child mental health problems are now recognised as a key public health concern. Parenting programs have been developed as one solution to reduce children's risk of developing mental health problems. However, their potential for widespread dissemination is hindered by low parental engagement, which includes intent to enrol, enrolment, and attendance. To increase parental engagement in preventive parenting programs, we need a better understanding of the predictors of engagement, and the strategies that can be used to enhance engagement.

Method: Employing a PRISMA method, we conducted a systematic review of the predictors of parent engagement and engagement enhancement strategies in preventive parenting programs. Key inclusion criteria included: (1) the intervention is directed primarily at the parent, (2) parent age >18 years, the article is (3) written in English and (4) published between 2004-2016. Stouffer's method of combining -values was used to determine whether associations between variables were reliable.

Results: Twenty-three articles reported a variety of predictors of parental engagement and engagement enhancement strategies. Only one of eleven predictors (child mental health symptoms) demonstrated a reliable association with enrolment ( < .01).

Discussion: There was a lack of consistent evidence for predictors of parental engagement. Nonetheless, preliminary evidence suggests that engagement enhancement strategies modelled on theories, such as the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour, may increase parents' engagement.

Systematic Review Registration: PROSPERO CRD42014013664.

Citing Articles

Predictors of Child and Caregiver Attendance in a Strengths-Focused, Culturally Grounded, Family-Based Program to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences.

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PMID: 40029566 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-025-01796-w.

Enhancing engagement in parenting programs: A comparative study of in-person, online, and telehealth formats.

Cai Q, Buchanan G, Simenec T, Lee S, Basha S, Gewirtz A Child Youth Serv Rev. 2025; 162.

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Effectiveness and costs of the recruitment strategies used in the MetA-Bone trial, a randomized clinical trial to test the effects of soluble corn fiber supplementation for 1 year in children.

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The Feasibility and Acceptability of Using a Digital Conversational Agent (Chatbot) for Delivering Parenting Interventions: Systematic Review.

Klapow M, Rosenblatt A, Lachman J, Gardner F JMIR Pediatr Parent. 2024; 7:e55726.

PMID: 39374516 PMC: 11494261. DOI: 10.2196/55726.

Validation of Parenting Your Baby and Parenting Your Toddler and Associations with Engagement in Parenting Intervention.

Guyon-Harris K, Rosas J, Dolcini-Catania L, Mendelsohn A, Morris P, Gill A J Child Fam Stud. 2024; 32(6):1789-1804.

PMID: 39371601 PMC: 11452057. DOI: 10.1007/s10826-022-02484-x.

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