Abstract
ObjectiveEvidence for early intervention and prevention‐based approaches for improving social and emotional health in young children is robust. However, rates of participation in programmes are low. We explored the dynamics which affect levels of community readiness to address the issues of social and emotional health for pregnant women, young children (0‐4 years) and their mothers.SettingA deprived inner‐city housing estate in the north of England. The estate falls within the catchment area of a project that has been awarded long‐term funding to address social and emotional health during pregnancy and early childhood.MethodsWe interviewed key respondents using the Community Readiness Model. This approach applies a mixed methodology, incorporating readiness scores and qualitative data. A mean community readiness score was calculated enabling the placement of the community in one of nine possible stages of readiness. Interview transcripts were analysed using a qualitative framework approach to generate contextual information to augment the numerical scores.ResultsAn overall score consistent with vague awareness was achieved, indicating a low level of community readiness for social and emotional health interventions. This score suggests that there will be a low likelihood of participation in programmes that address these issues.ConclusionGauging community readiness offers a way of predicting how willing and prepared a community is to address an issue. Modifying implementation plans so that they first address community readiness may improve participation rates.
Highlights
IntroductionIntervention programmes (EIP) during pregnancy and for parents of young children hold considerable promise for the development of children's social and emotional health.[1,2,3] These programmes include interventions that encourage positive parenting skills or that reduce the risk of perinatal depression.[4,5] The quality of interactions in the first few years of life can affect a child's lifeHealth Expectations. 2019;1–10.|2 course trajectory well into adulthood.[6,7,8] In consequence, early intervention policies and programmes which enable parents to help children achieve the best start in life are promoted as a blueprint for a healthy and happy society.9-13Social and emotional health is a multifaceted concept encompassing the development of self‐control, building relationships and learning skills and abilities to help children succeed in school and broader society.[14]
Early intervention policies and programmes which enable parents to help children achieve the best start in life are promoted as a blueprint for a healthy and happy society.9-13Social and emotional health is a multifaceted concept encompassing the development of self‐control, building relationships and learning skills and abilities to help children succeed in school and broader society.[14]
We report our findings after the application of the community readiness model (CRM); a key principle of the CRM is “that unless a community was ready, initiation of a prevention programme was unlikely, and if a program started despite the fact the community was not ready, initiation was likely to lead only to failure”[36] (p.293)
Summary
Intervention programmes (EIP) during pregnancy and for parents of young children hold considerable promise for the development of children's social and emotional health.[1,2,3] These programmes include interventions that encourage positive parenting skills or that reduce the risk of perinatal depression.[4,5] The quality of interactions in the first few years of life can affect a child's lifeHealth Expectations. 2019;1–10.|2 course trajectory well into adulthood.[6,7,8] In consequence, early intervention policies and programmes which enable parents to help children achieve the best start in life are promoted as a blueprint for a healthy and happy society.9-13Social and emotional health is a multifaceted concept encompassing the development of self‐control, building relationships and learning skills and abilities to help children succeed in school and broader society.[14]. Cullen and colleagues[28] asked parents of young children how likely they were to participate in parenting classes and found that 33% said they might participate and 10% said they were likely to participate; when take‐up data were examined at the end of a pilot of free parenting classes, only 6% of eligible parents had taken part. This gap between intention and action is what prompted Daro and McCurdy[27] to note in relation to uptake of family support programmes that—“what people say and what they do is qualitatively different” (p.115)
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