INCREASING PARENTAL COMPETENCY BY DEMONSTRATION OF NEWBORN BEHAVIORAL CHARACTERISTICS.
Contributors: Texas Woman's University.
Published: 1992
Number of pages: 215
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Adult and Continuing.
Description: The purpose of this study was to investigate the question: Does an explanation, demonstration, and return demonstration of the Infant Behavioral Assessment Record by a nurse and new parents increase maternal and paternal observed and perceived parental competence? The investigator recruited 49 expectant parents from parent education groups and assigned each couple to an experimental or control group. During a one week postpartum home visit, the parents completed a Parental Knowledge Questionnaire (PKQ) and were observed during a feeding using the Nursing Child Assessment Feeding Scale (NCAF). The experimental group was given an explanation, demonstration, and they returned the demonstration of the Infant Behavioral Assessment Record (IBAR) while the control group received no explanation and demonstration. At six weeks postpartum during a home visit, completed posttest measures of parental knowledge (PKQ), observed parental competence (NCAF), and perceived parental competence as measured by the Parenting Sense of Competency (PSOC) were taken.

One way ANOVA was used to analyze the differences between the parental (maternal and paternal) experimental and control groups on perceived parental competence (PSOC). Differences in maternal mean scores were not significant; however, paternal PSOC mean scores yielded an F =.246, df 1/47 with a computed $p.\le.027.$ Differences in maternal mean scores on observed competence between the maternal experimental and control groups were analyzed using ANCOVA. Results were significantly different at F = 8.5915, df 1/46 with a $p.\le.005.$ Results from statistical testing of hypotheses revealed significant increases for fathers on perceived parental competency and significant increases for mothers on observed parental competency. Low positive relationships were found between parental knowledge and observed parental competency and observed parental competency and perceived parental competency. No significant relationship was found between parental knowledge and perceived parental competency. A significant relationship was found between paternal age, education, and perceived parental competence.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-12, Section: B, page: 6221.

Thesis (PH.D.)--TEXAS WOMAN'S UNIVERSITY, 1992.

School code: 0925.