Social Factors Associated with the Effectiveness of a Spanish Parent Training Program-An Opportunity to Reduce Health Inequality Gap in Families.

Parent training programs (PTPs) have been used extensively in Anglo-Saxon countries, but less so in Southern Europe. Several characteristics of families have been linked to effective parenting and positive development of children, but few studies have examined the social determinants of the effectiveness of PTPs. The Parenting Skills Program for families (PSP) is a PTP from Spain. This study aimed to identify the social characteristics (sex, age, country of birth, marital status, educational level, and employment status) of parents that determine the success of the PSP in relation to social support, parenting skills, parental stress, and negative behaviors among children. A quasi-experimental study with a prepost design with no control group was used. We conducted a survey before (T0) and after the intervention (T1). Sample size was 216. We fit multiple logistic regression models. Parenting skills increased more among parents with a lower educational level. Parents' stress decreased more among parents who had a lower educational level, were unemployed, and were men. Social support increased among parents who were younger, unemployed, or non-cohabiting. We found no significant differences in the effect on children's negative behaviors according to the social factors evaluated. The PSP is effective for socioeconomically diverse families, but the success differs according to the parents' social profile. Unlike most previous studies, the results were better among more socially disadvantaged people, highlighting the potential of this kind of intervention for reducing the social inequality gap between groups.

Effectiveness of a parent-training program in Spain: reducing the Southern European evaluation gap.

OBJECTIVE: We implemented and evaluated the Parenting Skills Program for families in Spain 1) to examine differences in parenting skills, social support, children's behaviours and parental stress pre, immediately post and six months post intervention and 2) to identify mechanisms by which the intervention is related to changes in the four outcomes examined. METHODS: Quasi-experimental study design with pre (T0), post (T1), a follow-up (T2) and no control group, complemented by a qualitative study was used. The outcome variables were social support, parenting skills, parental stress and children's behaviours. 216 parents completed pre and post questionnaire and 130 parents the follow-up questionnaire. 39 professionals and 34 parents participated in 17 interviews and 5 discussion groups. RESULTS: Compared with T0, all four outcomes improved significantly at T1. 76% of the participants improved parenting skills and 61% social support. 56% reduced children's negative behaviours and 66% parental stress. All outcomes maintained this significant improvement at T2. Parents and professionals describe different changes in parents' parenting skills, stress and social support after participation in the PSP, and in their children's behaviours. Some subcategories emerged after analysing parents' and professionals' discourses. CONCLUSIONS: This study describes positive parenting effects on participants of a parent-training program in Spain, which is a country where implementation and evaluation of these kind of interventions is an incipient issue.

Efecto de una intervención de promoción de la parentalidad positiva sobre el estrés parental / How an Intervention to Promote Positive Parenting Affects Parental Stress / Efeito de uma intervenção de promoção da parentalidade positiva sobre o estresse parental

Fundamentos: los programas de educación parental, promotores de la parentalidad positiva, reducen el estrés parental. En España y Latinoamérica son escasas las evaluaciones que evidencian dichos efectos y en ningún caso exploran los predictores de éxito. Este estudio analiza los cambios producidos por el "Programa de desarrollo de habilidades parentales para familias" (PHP), basado en la educación parental y promovido por enfermeras comunitarias sobre el estrés parental, e identifica los factores sociodemográficos asociados a una mayor reducción de estrés. Métodos: se recogió información sociodemográfica de 257 participantes, antes de la intervención y de estrés parental antes y después de esta. Se empleó la versión española de Parental Stress Scale. Se aplicaron test no paramétricos y una regresión logística binaria. Resultados: el análisis bivariado identificó reducción del estrés parental para todas las categorías de las variables predictoras. El análisis multivariado mostró que los hombres, las personas con menor nivel de estudios y las desempleadas presentaron mayor probabilidad de reducir el estrés. Conclusiones: el PHP es una intervención efectiva para reducir el estrés parental en diferentes grupos poblacionales. Este estudio contribuye a reforzar los incipientes hallazgos de estudios internacionales, y a dar respuesta al vacío de los países latinos, en cuanto al papel de los determinantes sociales como predictores de la reducción del estrés parental generados por los programas de educación parental.

Fundamentals: Parental education programs, promoting positive parenting, reducing parental stress. Assessments that demonstrate these effects are rare in Spain and Latin America and in no case do they explore predictors of success. This study analyzes the changes in parental stress brought about by the "Parenting Skills Development Program for Families" (PSP), which is based on parental education, promoted by community nurses, and identifies the socio-demographic factors associated with added stress reduction. Method: Sociodemographic information was collected on 257 participants prior to the intervention and on parental stress before and after the intervention. The Spanish version of the Parental Stress Scale was used. A nonparametric test and binary logistic regression were applied. Results: A bivariate analysis identified a reduction in parental stress in all the categories of predictor variables. A multivariate analysis showed that men, as well as persons with lower levels of education and unemployed persons had more likelihood of reducing stress. Conclusions: PSP is an effective intervention to reduce parental stress in different population groups. This study helps to strengthen the incipient findings of international research and to respond to the void in Latin American countries concerning the role of social determinants as predictors of parental stress reduction generated through parental education programs.

Fundamentos: os programas de educação que promovem a parentalidade positiva reduzem o estresse parental. Na Espanha e na América Latina, são escassas as avaliações que evidenciam esses efeitos e, em nenhum caso, exploram-se os preditores de sucesso. Este estudo analisa as mudanças produzidas pelo "Programa de desenvolvimento de habilidades parentais para famílias (PHP)", baseado na educação parental e promovido por enfermeiras comunitárias, sobre o estresse parental; além disso, identifica os fatores sociodemográficos associados a uma maior redução de estresse. Métodos: coletou-se informação sociodemográfica de 257 participantes, antes da intervenção, e de estresse parental antes e depois desta. Empregou-se a versão espanhola de Parental Stress Scale e aplicaram-se testes não paramétricos e uma regressão logística binária. Resultados: a análise bivariada identificou redução do estresse parental para todas as categorias das variáveis preditoras. A análise multivariada mostrou que os homens, as pessoas com menor nível de escolaridade e as desempregadas apresentaram maior probabilidade de reduzir o estresse. Conclusões: o PHP é uma intervenção efetiva para reduzir o estresse parental em diferentes grupos populacionais. Este estudo contribui para reforçar os incipientes achados de estudos internacionais e dar resposta ao vazio dos países latino-americanos quanto ao papel dos determinantes sociais como preditores da redução do estresse parental gerados pelos programas de educação parental.