Effectiveness of family-centered program for enhancing competencies of responsive parenting among caregivers for early childhood development in rural India
Abhay Gaidhane, Shital Telrandhe, Penny Holding, Manoj Patil, Priti Kogade, Navnita Jadhav, Mahalaqua Nazli Khatib, Quazi Syed Zahiruddin
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Responsive parenting constitutes an essential part of the context in which children live and has shown a positive effect on child development in the early years of life. AIMS: This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of family parenting programs for enhancing competencies of responsive parenting among caregivers. STUDY DESIGN: Cluster-RCT in 50 Anganwadi center areas. Twenty-five intervention clusters received responsive parenting intervention. Anganwadi workers delivered sessions after support and training. SUBJECTS: We enrolled 530 mother-child dyads; 264 (49.9 %) from the intervention arm and 266 (50.1 %) from the control arm. OUTCOME MEASURES: We assessed caregivers' knowledge and skills about child development using a parenting quiz. We evaluated the effect of an intervention on the home environment, mother-child interaction, and development outcomes at the endpoint. RESULTS: We conducted 200 parenting sessions in 25 intervention clusters. Caregivers attended, on average, five sessions out of the nine scheduled. Caregivers with improved knowledge and skills about nutrition, shelter & care, play & stimulation for responsive parenting were significantly more in the intervention than in the control arm (p < 0.05). Mean difference in scores of home environment (1.24; SE-0.75 & ICC-0.088) and mother to child interaction (2.36; SE-0.87 & ICC-0.023) motor development (1.71; SE-0.61 & ICC-0.002), language development (2.97; SE-0.85 & ICC-0.002) and socioemotional development (1.45; SE-0.56 & ICC-0.066) between intervention and control arm was statistically significant (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A locally adapted, family parenting curriculum was a practical approach for enhancing parents' competencies and confidence to promote early child development.