Differential impacts of the Brazilian Strengthening Families Program (SFP 10-14): A study into changes in the parenting styles of vulnerable families

Abstract

Adolescents living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) are not only exposed to underprivileged conditions - they are also at greater risk of being raised with negative parenting practices that may have detrimental effects on their psychosocial development and health. Thus, the implementation and evaluation of family-based interventions that foster positive parenting practices among vulnerable populations are necessary. The aim of this study is to examine if the Brazilian Strengthening Families Program (SFP) has a differential impact on parenting styles in the short, medium, and long terms. This was achieved through a single-group longitudinal design with four data collection moments. Parenting styles were assessed using the Parental Practices Scale at baseline and then after delivering the program, with follow-ups after 6/8 and 10/12 months. The sample comprised 361 adolescents aged 10–14 years from low-income families in northeastern Brazil. A combination of hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster-analysis methods offered a four-cluster solution representing the four parenting styles: authoritative, authoritarian, indulgent, and negligent. Mixed ANOVAs revealed a main effect of time on both responsiveness and demandingness, indicating that overall levels were higher post-test than pre-test. There were improvements in the responsiveness levels among authoritarian parents, as well as improvements in the demandingness levels among indulgent parents. The Brazilian SFP (10–14) appears promising for improving parenting styles, which it does by strengthening the weakest parental aspect to enhance positive parenting in families living in underprivileged conditions.