Primary Care and Parenting

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The objective of this study to evaluate potential impact of a brief, low-cost primary care-based intervention of parenting self-efficacy, knowledge, and behavior.

Detailed Description
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Enriching parenting behaviors in early childhood promotes child development and offers a promising strategy to reduce future educational disparities. However, current interventions are limited by cost and have not been widely disseminated. Recognized as a target for research to improve early childhood development and subsequent school readiness skills among at-risk families, the primary care setting offers an ideal opportunity to reach the millions of children living in poverty. However, what remains unknown is how to more efficiently leverage the primary care setting to deliver a sustainable and effective preventive program to promote positive parenting behaviors and encourage early childhood development in low-income families. Therefore, the investigators designed Sit Down and Play (SDP) a brief parent-directed program delivered in the primary care setting. Modeled after the widely disseminated literacy program Reach Out and Read and grounded in social cognitive theory, SDP is intended to take place during each pediatric well-child visit occurring in a child's first two years with the goal of promoting positive parenting behaviors.

Official Title
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Utilizing the Primary Care Setting to Deliver a Brief Program to Enhance Parenting Behaviors

Conditions
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Parenting, Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice, Development, Child

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Sit Down and Play
* Other: Handout


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Parent is 18 years or older Child is present for a 6, 9, or 12 month well-child visit who attends University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) for well-child care Adult present with child at appointment is parent/caregiver of child Exclusion Criteria: Parent is non-English speaking Child is acutely sick

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 6 Months
Maximum Age: 12 Months

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Intervention<br>Parent of child to receive intervention, Sit Down and Play | Behavioral: Sit Down and Play<br>* Sit Down and Play (SDP) is designed to be a brief, low-cost intervention that incorporates key theoretical constructs to elicit positive parenting behaviors. It is intended to be delivered by existing clinical staff, nonprofessionals, or volunteers during each of the eight well-child visits between 2-24 months of age while a family waits to be seen by their pediatrician in the examination room<br>* Other names: Handout;|
| Active Comparator: Control<br>Parent will receive handout to promote positive behavior | Other: Handout<br>* Handout providing written descriptions of strategies to encourage positive parenting behaviors<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in Parental Knowledge | Change in parental knowledge regarding importance of talking with children | Enrollment and 7 months post-enrollment | 
| Change in participation in cognitively stimulating activities | Change in participation in cognitively stimulating activities such as reading and play as measured by the StimQ | Enrollment and 7 months post-enrollment | 
| Change in parenting self-efficacy | Change in perceived self-efficacy in parenting activity as measured by The Tool to Measure Parenting Self Efficacy | Enrollment and 7 months post-enrollment |