Effectiveness of a Technology-Based Supportive Educational Parenting Program on Parental Outcomes in Singapore: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Supportive educational programs during the perinatal period are scarce in Singapore. There is no continuity of care available in terms of support from community care nurses in Singapore. Parents are left on their own most of the time, which results in a stressful transition to parenthood. There is a need for easily accessible technology-based educational programs that can support parents during this crucial perinatal period. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial on a technology-based supportive educational parenting program. METHODS A randomized controlled two-group pretest and repeated posttest experimental design will be used. The study will recruit 118 parents (59 couples) from the antenatal clinics of a tertiary public hospital in Singapore. Eligible parents will be randomly allocated to receive either the supportive educational parenting program or routine perinatal care from the hospital. Outcome measures include parenting self-efficacy, parental bonding, postnatal depression, social support, parenting satisfaction, and cost evaluation. Data will be collected at the antenatal period, immediate postnatal period, and at 1 month and 3 months post childbirth. RESULTS Recruitment of the study participants commenced in December 2016 and is still ongoing. Data collection is projected to finish within 12 months, by December 2017. CONCLUSIONS This study will identify a potentially clinically useful, effective, and cost-effective supportive educational parenting program to improve parental self-efficacy and bonding in newborn care, which will then improve parents’ social support–seeking behaviors, emotional well-being, and satisfaction with parenting. It is hoped that better supported and satisfied parents will consider having more children, which may in turn influence Singapore’s ailing birth rate. CLINICALTRIAL International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 48536064; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN48536064 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6wMuEysiO)

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Effectiveness of a Postpartum Text Message Program (Essential Coaching for Every Mother) on Maternal Psychosocial Outcomes: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.27138 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Justine Dol ◽

Megan Aston ◽

Douglas McMillan ◽

Gail Tomblin Murphy ◽

Marsha Campbell-Yeo

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Text Message ◽

Psychosocial Outcomes ◽

Control Group ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Women experience changes both physically and psychologically during their transition to motherhood. The postnatal period is a critical time for women to develop maternal self-efficacy. Mobile health interventions may offer a way to reach women during this critical period to offer support and information. Essential Coaching for Every Mother is a text message program that seeks to educate and support women during the first 6 weeks postpartum. OBJECTIVE The primary effectiveness objective is to compare the effectiveness of the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program on maternal psychosocial outcomes (self-efficacy, social support, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety) immediately after the intervention and 6 months postpartum, collectively as well as stratified by parity. The primary implementation objective is to evaluate the implementation extent and quality of the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program. METHODS This will be a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial. A total of 140 mothers-to-be or new mothers from Nova Scotia will be recruited and randomized to the intervention or control arm, stratified by parity. The intervention arm will receive the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program, which consists of 53 messages sent twice a day for the first 2 weeks and daily for weeks 3 through 6. The control group will receive usual care. Messages are personalized based on the infant’s age and the woman’s self-selected preference for breastfeeding or formula feeding and tailored with the infant’s name and gender. Women can enroll in the program if they are ≥37 weeks pregnant or within 10 days postpartum, with the first message designed to be sent on the second evening after birth. The actual number of messages received will vary based on the timing of enrollment and the infant’s date of birth. Participants will complete questionnaires assessing self-efficacy, social support, and postpartum depression and anxiety at baseline (enrollment after birth) and 6 weeks (postintervention) and 6 months postpartum. Implementation data will be collected throughout the trial, and evaluation feedback will be collected at 6 weeks from women who received the intervention. RESULTS Recruitment for this study started on January 5, 2021, and is currently ongoing, with an anticipated date of recruitment completion of January 2022. CONCLUSIONS This study will assess the effectiveness of a postpartum text message program to improve maternal self-efficacy and social support while decreasing postpartum depression and anxiety. It will also shed light on the implementation effectiveness of the program. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04730570; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04730570 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/27138

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An Exploration of the Effectiveness of the Fun For Wellness Online Intervention to Promote Health in Adults With Obesity: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Prevention and Health Promotion ◽

10.1177/2632077020968737 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 263207702096873

Author(s):

Isaac Prilleltensky ◽

Adam McMahon ◽

Nicholas D. Myers ◽

Ora Prilleltensky ◽

Samantha Dietz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Health Status ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Large Scale ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

The United States ◽

Double Blind ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Positive Direct

Fun For Wellness (FFW) is an online behavioral intervention developed to promote well-being by enhancing the self-efficacy of participants. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of FFW to promote health in adults with obesity in the United States in a relatively uncontrolled setting. The study design was a large-scale, prospective, double-blind, parallel group randomized controlled trial. Data collection occurred at three time points: baseline, 30 days, and 60 days after baseline. There was evidence for a positive direct effect of FFW on physical health status ([Formula: see text] = 1.33, p = .005, d = 0.24) at 60 days after baseline. In addition, there was evidence of a positive indirect effect of FFW on mental health status at 60 days after baseline through psychological well-being self-efficacy ([Formula: see text] = 0.44, [0.05, 0.94]).

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A randomized controlled trial of the effectiveness of a postnatal psychoeducation programme on self-efficacy, social support and postnatal depression among primiparas

Journal of Advanced Nursing ◽

10.1111/jan.12590 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 71 (6) ◽

pp. 1260-1273 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Shefaly Shorey ◽

Sally Wai Chi Chan ◽

Yap Seng Chong ◽

Hong-Gu He

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Postnatal Depression ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Randomized Controlled

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The Effects of a Parenting Program on Maternal Well-Being: Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

The B E Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy ◽

10.1515/bejeap-2020-0084 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Georg F. Camehl ◽

Christa Katharina Spiess ◽

Kurt Hahlweg

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

School Entry ◽

Parenting Program ◽

Medium Term ◽

Short Term ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Positive Effect ◽

Analyze Data

AbstractThis paper evaluates how a light-touch parenting program for parents of children below school entry age affects maternal family well-being. We analyze data from a randomized controlled trial focusing on non-disadvantaged parents. Overall, results show no short-term effects but a relatively large positive effect of the intervention on maternal family well-being in the medium term. With a 20- to 30-percent standard deviation, the effects appearing three years after treatment are relatively large. Mechanisms such as improvements in child behavior are further explored.

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Effectiveness of a Postpartum Text Message Program (Essential Coaching for Every Mother) on Maternal Psychosocial Outcomes: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Research Protocols ◽

10.2196/27138 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. e27138

Author(s):

Justine Dol ◽

Megan Aston ◽

Douglas McMillan ◽

Gail Tomblin Murphy ◽

Marsha Campbell-Yeo

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Postpartum Depression ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Text Message ◽

Psychosocial Outcomes ◽

Control Group ◽

Depression And Anxiety ◽

Randomized Controlled

Background Women experience changes both physically and psychologically during their transition to motherhood. The postnatal period is a critical time for women to develop maternal self-efficacy. Mobile health interventions may offer a way to reach women during this critical period to offer support and information. Essential Coaching for Every Mother is a text message program that seeks to educate and support women during the first 6 weeks postpartum. Objective The primary effectiveness objective is to compare the effectiveness of the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program on maternal psychosocial outcomes (self-efficacy, social support, postpartum depression, and postpartum anxiety) immediately after the intervention and 6 months postpartum, collectively as well as stratified by parity. The primary implementation objective is to evaluate the implementation extent and quality of the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program. Methods This will be a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial. A total of 140 mothers-to-be or new mothers from Nova Scotia will be recruited and randomized to the intervention or control arm, stratified by parity. The intervention arm will receive the Essential Coaching for Every Mother program, which consists of 53 messages sent twice a day for the first 2 weeks and daily for weeks 3 through 6. The control group will receive usual care. Messages are personalized based on the infant’s age and the woman’s self-selected preference for breastfeeding or formula feeding and tailored with the infant’s name and gender. Women can enroll in the program if they are ≥37 weeks pregnant or within 10 days postpartum, with the first message designed to be sent on the second evening after birth. The actual number of messages received will vary based on the timing of enrollment and the infant’s date of birth. Participants will complete questionnaires assessing self-efficacy, social support, and postpartum depression and anxiety at baseline (enrollment after birth) and 6 weeks (postintervention) and 6 months postpartum. Implementation data will be collected throughout the trial, and evaluation feedback will be collected at 6 weeks from women who received the intervention. Results Recruitment for this study started on January 5, 2021, and is currently ongoing, with an anticipated date of recruitment completion of January 2022. Conclusions This study will assess the effectiveness of a postpartum text message program to improve maternal self-efficacy and social support while decreasing postpartum depression and anxiety. It will also shed light on the implementation effectiveness of the program. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04730570; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04730570 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/27138

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The Effect of Social Norm-based Intervention on Physical Activity among Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

10.21203/rs.3.rs-17177/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jia Jia Lee ◽

Nivedita Vikas Nadkarni ◽

Irene Teo ◽

Semra Ozdemir

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Social Support ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Step Counts ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Group Members

Abstract Background: To evaluate the effectiveness of descriptive norms in promoting physical activity among adolescents by measuring step counts via a randomized controlled trial (NCT03081013). Methods: A total of 311 participants aged 13-16 were randomized into two study arms (Onymous and Anonymous Arms). Each arm consisted of 13 groups of 12 participants. During the trial, participants received weekly short message service (SMS) about their past week’s physical activity performance Participants in the Anonymous Arm received information about step counts of group members ranked from highest to lowest. Participants in the Onymous Arm received the same information with the group members’ full names. Participants’ quality of life, depression, and physical activity social support, self-efficacy and enjoyment before and after the intervention were also evaluated. Results: The number of steps was not higher when descriptive norm message was onymous compared to when it was anonymous. Scores in quality of life, depression, social support, self-efficacy, and enjoyment of physical activity were not significantly different between both arms (p>0.05). Conclusions: Our findings indicated that promotion of physical activity requires a multi-faceted approach. We recommend using a more relevant reference group to use social norms as a tool to increase physical activity among adolescents.

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Mobile Breast Cancer e-Support Program for Chinese Women With Breast Cancer Undergoing Chemotherapy (Part 1): Qualitative Study of Women�s Perceptions (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9311 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Jiemin Zhu ◽

Lyn Ebert ◽

Dongmei Guo ◽

Sumei Yang ◽

Qiuying Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

Routine Care ◽

Support Program ◽

Randomized Controlled

BACKGROUND Women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy experience difficulty in accessing adequate cancer care in China. Mobile apps have the potential to provide easily accessible support for these women. However, there remains a paucity of randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of app-based programs targeting specifically women with breast cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Moreover, women’s perceptions and experiences related to using and interacting within the app-based program have rarely been reported. Therefore, an app-based Breast Cancer e-Support program was developed and evaluated using a randomized controlled trial. Based on the incorporation of Bandura’s self-efficacy and social exchange theory, Breast Cancer e-Support program lasted for 12 weeks covering 4 cycles of chemotherapy and had 4 components: (1) a Learning forum, (2) a Discussion forum, (3) an Ask-the-Expert forum, and (4) a Personal Stories forum. OBJECTIVE As a part of the randomized controlled trial, the aim of this study was to explore the participants’ perception of Breast Cancer e-Support program, its strengths and weaknesses, and suggestions to improve the program. METHODS A descriptive qualitative study was employed. Thirteen women with breast cancer from 2 university-affiliated hospitals in China, who were randomly allocated to the Breast Cancer e-Support program in the randomized controlled trial, were interviewed from November 2016 to February 2017. Purposive sampling was used based on women’s scores of self-efficacy after the completion of the intervention. Inductive content analysis was used to analyze the transcripts, allowing the categories and subcategories to flow from the data. RESULTS The qualitative interviews revealed that participants perceived the Breast Cancer e-Support program to be helpful in enhancing knowledge, improving confidence level, and promoting emotional well-being. Women also identified access to tailored advice from experts and convenience as the benefits of this program. Physical or psychological health status, stigma related with breast cancer, and app instability were mentioned as the challenges to engagement. Suggestions for improvement included adding message reminders to prompt instant communication and search engine to locate information quickly, supplementing more interesting and practical knowledge, updating the information more often, and quickening the responses to women’s questions. The participants recommended the Breast Cancer e-Support program to be incorporated as routine care to support women during chemotherapy. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the potential of the Breast Cancer e-Support program to support women during chemotherapy. Future app-based programs should apply a family-centered approach and provide more support on stigma associated with the disease to encourage engagement with the app. Suggestions of improvement regarding the design, content, and operation of the app-based intervention should be addressed in future studies. It is promising to incorporate the Breast Cancer e-Support program into routine care to generalize the benefits. CLINICALTRIAL Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12616000639426; http://www.ANZCTR.org.au/ ACTRN12616000639426.aspx (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6v1n9hGZq)

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Parental relationship and child development: A study protocol for a randomized controlled trial for strengthening couples and children from pregnancy until four years after birth

10.21203/rs.2.14024/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Guy Bodenmann ◽

Céline Stadelmann ◽

Peter Zimmermann ◽

Alexandra Iwanski ◽

Mirjam Senn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Child Development ◽

Relationship Satisfaction ◽

Healthy Child ◽

Low Dose ◽

Transition To Parenthood ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Well Being ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Relational Skills

Abstract Background The transition to parenthood is a critical phase for couples and often relationship relational well-being (i.e., relationship satisfaction) deteriorates. As parents’ relationship well-being is a significant predictor of children’s well-being, this decrease is also critical for children. Thus, strengthening couples during the transition to parenthood seems particularly important. Different intervention programmes targeting the transition to parenthood reported positive effects on relationship satisfaction, communication and child adjustment. This study protocol describes a randomized controlled trial for two couple-focused interventions, targeting the enhancement of partners’ relational skills (communication, dyadic coping, problem-solving, self-regulation in relationships) with the aim to improve relational well-being, partners’ well-being, coparenting and, consequently, foster healthy child development.Methods/design We randomly assigned mixed-sex couples to a high or low dose intervention or a waiting list control condition. The high dose intervention consists of a training of relational skills, whereas in the low dose condition participants receive a psychoeducational movie. Outcomes are assessed over 11 time points from the third trimester of pregnancy until four years after birth assessing self-report and home observations of couple- and parent-child interactions. Primary outcomes include relational skills, individual and relational well-being and coparenting; a secondary outcome is healthy child development. Statistical analyses include multilevel modelling, structural equation modelling as well as standard statistics.Discussion The aim of this study is to support families with couple-focused interventions and thus improve relational skills, relationship well-being, coparenting, individual well-being, and healthy child development. If the intervention reveals to be effective, we will target a broader dissemination.

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