Clinical trial NCT02225301: iLookOut for Child Abuse -Online Learning Module for Early Childcare Providers
Official title: Early Childhood Practitioner's Knowledge and Attitudes Regarding Reporting Child Abuse/Neglect-iLookOut
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Phase: NA
Conditions: Child Abuse
Child Neglect
Child Maltreatment
Keywords: Child maltreatment
Child Care
Knowledge
Attitude
Lead sponsor: Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2014-08-26
Enrollment: 35000
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: OTHER

Brief summary: Phase 1 was a randomized control trial that used a test-retest model to evaluate the impact of iLook Out for Child Abuse, an online, interactive learning module about reporting suspected child abuse. Delivered via a learning management system to early childhood professionals who work with infants and young children, this study assessed iLookOut's effect on 1) knowledge about reporting suspected child abuse; 2) attitudes toward reporting suspected child abuse; and 3) preparedness to protect children at risk.

Findings from Phase 1 were that iLookOut will improved knowledge, changed attitudes, and increase self-reported preparedness of early childhood providers to report suspected child abuse.

Phase 2 of this trial is an open-enrollment study that records pre-/post- data on the same measurements as Phase 1, and is available for use (free of charge) for all childcare providers in Pennsylvania at https://www.ilookoutforchildabuse.com.

Detailed description: Despite their daily interactions with young children, little research has been conducted into early childhood professionals' (ECPs') knowledge of, and attitudes towards, reporting of child abuse/neglect. This study:

1. Evaluates the effectiveness of the online learning module, iLook Out for Child Abuse, created to train and inform early childhood providers about reporting suspected child abuse;
2. Identifies early childhood providers' current knowledge regarding Pennsylvania law on mandated reporting of suspected child abuse;
3. Explores the factors influencing early childhood providers' current knowledge and attitudes;
4. Evaluates the impact of an online educational program on early childhood providers' knowledge, attitudes, and patterns of decision-making regarding mandated reporting of suspected child abuse;
5. To explores the factors influencing the impact of an online educational program on early childhood providers' knowledge and attitudes regarding mandated reporting of suspected child abuse

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Paid or volunteer staff at childcare facility

Exclusion Criteria:

* Younger than 18 years of age

Primary outcomes:
measure: Change in knowledge regarding reporting suspected child abuse.
timeFrame: 48 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change in attitudes regarding reporting suspected child abuse.
timeFrame: 48 months
Other outcomes:
measure: Evaluation of online learning module.
timeFrame: 48 months
Locations:
city: Hershey
country: United States
facility: Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center / Penn State College of Medicine
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center / Penn State College of Medicine
name: Benjamin H Levi, MD PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Walsh K, Eggins E, Hine L, Mathews B, Kenny MC, Howard S, Ayling N, Dallaston E, Pink E, Vagenas D. Child protection training for professionals to improve reporting of child abuse and neglect. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2022 Jul 5;7(7):CD011775. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011775.pub2.
citation: Yang C, Panlilio C, Verdiglione N, Lehman EB, Hamm RM, Fiene R, Dore S, Bard DE, Grable B, Levi B. Generalizing findings from a randomized controlled trial to a real-world study of the iLookOut, an online education program to improve early childhood care and education providers' knowledge and attitudes about reporting child maltreatment. PLoS One. 2020 Jan 8;15(1):e0227398. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227398. eCollection 2020.
citation: Mathews B, Yang C, Lehman EB, Mincemoyer C, Verdiglione N, Levi BH. Educating early childhood care and education providers to improve knowledge and attitudes about reporting child maltreatment: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2017 May 19;12(5):e0177777. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177777. eCollection 2017.