Segment size and sample size: Effects on a rating scale measure of parent-child interaction

Abstract Poverty increases the risk of poorer executive function (EF) in children born full-term (FT). Stressors associated with poverty, including variability in parenting behavior, may explain links between poverty and poorer EF, but this remains unclear for children born very preterm (VPT). We examine socioeconomic and parental psychosocial adversity on parenting behavior, and whether these factors independently or jointly influence EF in children born VPT. At age five years, 154 children (VPT = 88, FT = 66) completed parent-child interaction and EF tasks. Parental sensitivity, intrusiveness, cognitive stimulation, and positive and negative regard were coded with the Parent-Child Interaction Rating Scale. Socioeconomic adversity spanned maternal demographic stressors, Income-to-Needs ratio, and Area Deprivation Index. Parents completed measures of depression, anxiety, inattention/hyperactivity, parenting stress, and social-communication interaction (SCI) problems. Parental SCI problems were associated with parenting behavior in parents of children born VPT, whereas socioeconomic adversity was significant in parents of FT children. Negative parenting behaviors, but not positive parenting behaviors, were related to child EF. This association was explained by parental depression/anxiety symptoms and socioeconomic adversity. Results persisted after adjustment for parent and child IQ. Findings may inform research on dyadic interventions that embed treatment for parental mood/affective symptoms and SCI problems to improve childhood EF.

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Training community health nurses to measure parent–child interaction: a mixed-methods study

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz155 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (3) ◽

pp. 445-450

Author(s):

Penny Levickis ◽

Cristina McKean ◽

Elaine Walls ◽

James Law

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Child Health ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Free Play ◽

Parental Responsiveness ◽

Additional Tool ◽

Child Interaction ◽

Parent Child Interactions ◽

Parent Child Interaction ◽

Parent Child

Abstract Background This study aims to determine whether the Parental Responsiveness Rating Scale (PaRRiS) completed at child age 24–30 months can be used by community child health nurses (CCHNs) to reliably measure the quality of parent–child interactions in practice. Methods A mixed-methods design was used involving CCHNs working in public health settings. Five CCHNs recruited from the North-East of England were trained to use PaRRiS. Thirty parent–child dyads attending their routine 24–30-month check were observed. Nurses rated parent–child dyads during 5 min of free-play using PaRRiS. The free-play sessions were video recorded and rated blind by the first author to the nurse observation. Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with the five CCHNs once observations of parent–child interactions were complete. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymized and thematically analyzed. Results Two-thirds of participating parents were mothers. Half the families (15/30) were from the 10% most deprived areas based on the English Index of Multiple Deprivation. The average PaRRiS score was 3.03 [standard deviation (SD) = 0.8; all ratings were <5.0]. Reliability between the first author (‘gold standard’) and CCHNs was excellent [Intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC): 0.85; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.67–0.93]. CCHNs found PaRRiS aligned well with current practice and was acceptable to parents. There was no evidence of a relationship between social disadvantage and PaRRiS scores. Conclusions With further development and evaluation work, PaRRiS could potentially be incorporated into existing universal health services to provide child health nurses with an additional tool for identifying families most likely to be in need of parent–child interaction interventions.

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