Abstract
BackgroundSupportive 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.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to describe the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial on a technology-based supportive educational parenting program.MethodsA 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.ResultsRecruitment of the study participants commenced in December 2016 and is still ongoing. Data collection is projected to finish within 12 months, by December 2017.ConclusionsThis 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.Trial RegistrationInternational Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN): 48536064; https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN48536064 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6wMuEysiO)
Highlights
Introduction and key findingsThe world’s population is ageing: virtually every country in the world is experiencing growth in the number and proportion of older persons in their population
As populations become increasingly aged, it is more important than ever that governments design innovative policies and public services targeted to older persons, including those addressing, inter alia, housing, employment, health care, infrastructure and social protection
While declining fertility and increasing longevity are the key drivers of population ageing globally, international migration has contributed to changing population age structures in some countries and regions
Summary
Population age structure in Germany, Brazil and the United Republic of Tanzania, IV.. Labour force participation of persons aged 65 years or over, by sex and region, IV.. Distribution of countries according to the statutory retirement age, by sex and region, IV.. Changes in the population aged 60 years or over and NCD-related disability (YLDs). Years of life lost per capita due to disability and percentage of population aged 60. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs ׀Population Division ix
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