Home-based Activities Research Articles

Increasing Parent Involvement Among Head Start Families: A Randomized Control Group Study

Parent involvement (PI) during preschool has been linked with strong pre-literacy skills, acquisition of mathematical skills, well-developed social skills, and positive attitudes toward school. Parents’ active involvement in their children’s learning is a recommended strategy in engaging families in children’s education experiences. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the impact of a parent-directed early literacy intervention on three dimensions of PI—home-based, school-based, and home-school conferencing (HSC)—among Head Start parents and their preschool-aged children. Twenty-four preschool children (and their parents) were randomly assigned to an intervention or active control group. PI was assessed at the beginning and end of the intervention. Results of a series of two-way repeated measures analyses of variance indicated significant improvements in home-based PI among parents in the intervention group, but no differences in school-based or HSC types of PI. Parents’ prior experience with their children’s preschool education did not moderate the impact of the intervention on PI. These findings provide support for the effectiveness of this parent-directed early literacy intervention as a strategy to increase home-based PI activities among families in Head Start.

Social Capital and Determinants of Immigrant Family Educational Involvement

ABSTRACTFamily educational involvement has been identified as a particularly beneficial practice for the achievement and behavioral outcomes of all students, including ethnic-minority students from families who have low levels of income, education, and English language proficiency. Despite the associated benefits, however, not all families are involved in their child's education and the explanation for differing involvement patterns has not been fully explored. The author examines precursors to parent educational involvement with an emphasis on immigrant families who may face more involvement barriers using the immigrant sample from the Child Development Supplement of the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (N = 189). Results provide limited support for the Hoover-Dempsey and Sandler theoretical model for family involvement; self-efficacy and perceived opportunities for involvement predicted immigrant families’ home-based involvement. No antecedents, however, predicted school-based involvement. In addition, results suggest expanding this model to include social capital, which significantly predicted immigrant families’ home-based involvement activities.

Interactive hazards education program for youth in a low SES community: a quasi-experimental pilot study.

A pilot study of an interactive hazards education program was carried out in Canberra (Australia), with direct input from youth participants. Effects were evaluated in relation to youths' interest in disasters, motivation to prepare, risk awareness, knowledge indicators, perceived preparedness levels, planning and practice for emergencies, and fear and anxiety indicators. Parents also provided ratings, including of actual home-based preparedness activities. Using a single group pretest-posttest with benchmarking design, a sample of 20 youths and their parents from a low SES community participated. Findings indicated beneficial changes on a number of indicators. Preparedness indicators increased significantly from pre- to posttest on both youth (p < 0.01) and parent ratings (p < 0.01). Parent ratings reflected an increase of just under six home-based preparedness activities. Youth knowledge about disaster mitigation also was seen to increase significantly (p < 0.001), increasing 39% from pretest levels. While personalized risk perceptions significantly increased (p < 0.01), anxiety and worry levels were seen either not to change (generalized anxiety, p > 0.05) or to reduce between pre- and posttest (hazards-specific fears, worry, and distress, ps ranged from p < 0.05 to < 0.001). In terms of predictors of preparedness, a number of variables were found to predict posttest preparedness levels, including information searching done by participants between education sessions. These pilot findings are the first to reflect quasi-experimental outcomes for a youth hazards education program carried out in a setting other than a school that focused on a sample of youth from a low SES community.

Father involvement with three-to-four-year olds at home: giving fathers a chance

This study examined fathers' perceptions regarding their home-based activities (HBA) and the influence of fathers' demographic characteristics on their perceptions and practices at home. A total of 396 fathers completed a survey questionnaire describing their demographic information, perceptions and their practices regarding their involvement in HBA. Results indicated that fathers have moderate level of practice concerning their HBA, yet they have low perception of their actual practice at HBA. In addition, there was a statistical significance in HBA due to fathers' age, educational level and specialisation which had an influence on their perceptions as well. Recommendations and implications of future research were discussed.

Gray and green revisited: a multidisciplinary perspective of gardens, gardening, and the aging process.

Over fourteen years ago, the concept of “gray and green” was first introduced by Wright and Lund (2000) to represent a new awareness and a call for increased scholarship at the intersection of environmental issues and the aging process. This review paper revisits that concept with a fresh perspective on the specific role of gardens and gardening in the aging experience. As example, gardening is one of the most popular home-based leisure activities in the US and represents an important activity in the lives of older adults in a variety of residential settings. Yet, there has been a lack of any comprehensive and multidisciplinary (science and humanities) examination of the nexus between gardening and the aging experience, and in particular with research connections to stewardship and caring. In this paper, we review contemporary articles demonstrating the multidisciplinarity of gardening and the aging process. First, we will focus on the beneficial psychological effects resulting from the cultivation of caring, including personal contentment and artistic expression. Second, we will focus on stewardship and how gardening increases health, community awareness, and a connection to future generations. On the surface, this may demonstrate a separation between the humanities and science, but we will clarify a symbiotic relationship between the two disciplines in our conclusion.

The TrimTots programme for prevention and treatment of obesity in preschool children: evidence from two randomised controlled trials

BackgroundThere are few lifestyle interventions that target obesity in preschool children. We report the results of two randomised controlled trials assessing an intervention to reduce obesity risk in children aged 1–5 years (TrimTots Healthy Lifestyle Programme). We hypothesised that participating children would reduce their risk of obesity compared with those not yet having taken part. MethodsTrimTots is a multicomponent programme including diet, physical activity, and behaviour change with an emphasis on family involvement and learning through art and play. Education was delivered through interactive teaching sessions and practical workshops. Behaviour change was encouraged by setting SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely) goals to achieve small sustainable changes in diet and activity. Children and parents participated in music and movement and active games and learned about nutrition and physical activity through art workshops. The programme was delivered twice weekly in 2-h sessions over 6 months at Sure-Start Children's Centres in Hertfordshire between June, 2008, and December, 2012. Parents were given exercise equipment, games, and music CDs to encourage home-based activities. TrimTots was assessed in two randomised, single-blind (investigator masked), controlled trials. Trial 1 recruited children with body-mass index (BMI) at or above the 91st centile or whose weight had crossed centiles upwards on the UK–WHO growth reference (mean age 2·5 years [SD 1·0]; n=88). Trial 2 included ten further children's centres and recruited children irrespective of weight status (mean age 2·1 years [SD 0·8]; n=85). Children were randomly assigned by an independent statistician by a computer-generated permuted block design to either start the intervention immediately or to a waiting list control. Analysis was by intention to treat. The sample size in each trial was calculated to detect a 0·6 SD difference in BMI Z score between randomised groups at 5% significance and 80% power. The 2-year analysis used a paired t test to analyse within-participant changes in BMI Z score. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT0067562. Findings64 of 88 (73%) and 64 of 85 (75%) children completed trials 1 and 2, respectively. In trial 1, BMI and waist circumference were significantly lower at the end of the programme in the intervention group than in the control group (mean difference for BMI Z score −0·9, 95% CI −1·4 to −0·4; p=0·001; mean difference for waist circumference adjusted for age and sex −3·6 cm, −6·0 to −1·3; p=0·003). In 42 of 88 (48%) children measured at 2-year follow-up, BMI Z score was lower than at baseline (mean difference −0·3, 95% CI −0·6 to −0·1; p=0·007). In trial 2, BMI Z score and waist circumference did not differ significantly between groups (mean difference for BMI Z score −0·3, 95% CI −0·8 to 0·3; p=0·3; mean difference in waist circumference −2·5 cm, −4·5 to 0·02; p=0·05). For both trials combined, BMI and BMI Z scores were lower in the intervention group than in the control group (mean difference for BMI Z score −0·4, 95% CI −0·8 to −0·02; p=0·04). Blood pressure was lower after the intervention in both trials, although not significantly in trial 2 (mean difference −6 mm Hg, 95% CI −11 to −1; p=0·01 in trial 1; and −2 mm Hg, −2 to 6; p=0·3 in trial 2). No adverse events were reported during the trials. InterpretationTrimTots was acceptable to families and centre staff and resulted in a significant reduction in obesity risk in overweight or high-risk children. Longer term follow-up found the effect on BMI to be sustained. These findings suggest that the programme is a feasible intervention for management of obesity in preschool children. FundingThe study was funded from AS's Medical Research Council programme grant. A charitable donation was provided by Nutricia PLC, Trowbridge, UK.

Getting Parents Involved: A Field Experiment in Deprived Schools

This article provides evidence that schools can influence parents' involvement in education, and this has causal effects on pupils' behaviour. Furthermore, it shows how the impact of more involved parents on their children is amplified at the class level by peer group interaction. We build on a large-scale controlled experiment run in a French deprived educational district, where parents of middle-school children were invited to participate in a simple program of parent–school meetings on how to get better involved in their children's education. At the end of the school year, we find that treated families have increased their school-and home-based involvement activities. In turn, pupils of treatment classes have developed more positive behaviour and attitudes in school, notably in terms of truancy and disciplinary sanctions (with effects-size around 15% of a standard deviation). However, test scores did not improve under the intervention. Our results suggest that parents are an input for schooling policies and it is possible to influence important aspects of the schooling process at low cost.

The impact of connectivity technology on home-based business venturing: The case of women in the North East of England

This article aims to assess the extent to which connectivity technology has contributed to home-based business activities of women in the North East of England. Based on an empirical survey of 98 women-owned home-based businesses, the article concludes that technology has reframed the concept of ‘home economics’, providing an effective medium for engaging women in the labour market. The article argues that home-based business venturing needs to be further promoted via appropriate policy channels and support networks as a viable and serious employment opportunity, as well as a solution to dual-role conflict experienced by some women who may otherwise be deterred from playing active roles in the local and regional economic development.

Rethinking Microentrepreneurship and Business Development Programs: Vulnerability and Ambition in Low-income Urban Caribbean Households

Current development thinking and practice emphasize the potential of microentrepreneurship for poverty reduction. To effectuate this potential, many business development programs (BDPs), particularly focusing on microfinance and training, were implemented. This article questions the relevance of BDPs for microentrepreneurs through a comparative study on home-based economic activities (HBEAs) in two Caribbean cities. It shows that BDPs are relevant to only a minority of entrepreneurs. This can be explained by variations in household vulnerability and entrepreneurial ambition. The article therefore argues that analyzing microentrepreneurship’s relevance for poverty reduction requires an understanding of microenterprises in the broader context of household livelihood characteristics.

Participation in the Home Environment among Children and Youth with and without Disabilities

Introduction:This study examines participation patterns and environmental supports and barriers for children with and without disabilities within their home setting.Method:The Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY) is a newly developed, reliable parent/caregiver-report tool, which combines assessment of children's participation and the environment. The PEM-CY was completed online by 576 parents of children or youth (5 to 17 years old) with and without disabilities from Canada and the United States. ANOVA analyses were performed to examine group differences in PEM-CY summary scores. Item-level differences are presented descriptively using radar plots.Results:After controlling for age and income, significant differences between children with and without disabilities were observed for all home-based PEM-CY participation and environment summary scores. Differences between the two groups were also evident at the item level, particularly when comparing the percentage of children and youth who never participate in specific home-based activities and when comparing perceived barriers to participation.Conclusion:Although all children and youth participate frequently in home-based activities, those with disabilities tend to participate in less complex and quieter/sedentary activities. This, in addition to parental report of environmental barriers to participation, highlights the potential importance of home-based occupational therapy intervention to optimise participation in this setting.

Exploring pricing policy options to stimulate healthy eating in South Africa: Seeking consensus using the Delphi technique approach

ABSTRACT The paper aimed at drawing up a list of food pricing strategies that could be used to promote healthy eating and address food insecurity by soliciting expert opinions using the Delphi method. Respondents represented the broad spectrum of the food industry and data were collected in three rounds. The participants were selected purposively according to their experience in the food industry and marketing of agricultural and food products. In round one, experts designed promising pricing strategies. The pricing strategies were divided into four broad categories and these were: A. Taxes; B. Government interference and insurance; C. Packaging; and D. Price and discounting strategies. The strategies were subsequently evaluated on eight criteria using a time-budget model incorporating Sleep, Leisure, Occupation, Transportation and Home-based activities (SLOTH). Results were analysed using median and inter-quartile deviations scores. The results revealed reasonable consensus among experts and a varied list of promising pricing strategies. The panel agreed on the potential success of offering small gifts, providing price cuts on healthy foods and discounting healthier foods more frequently. Also, it was found that experts gave higher rates to pricing strategies for which the implementation responsibilities could be placed elsewhere.

Changes in Parent Involvement Across the Transition from Public School Prekindergarten to First Grade and Children's Academic Outcomes

Between- and within-family changes in 4 dimensions of parent involvement in children's learning were examined from prekindergarten to kindergarten and from kindergarten to first grade. Children's literacy, language, and mathematics skills were individually assessed at prekindergarten entry and end of first grade. Parents' provision of cognitive stimulation decreased overall from prekindergarten to kindergarten (d = −.26) and from kindergarten to first grade (d = −.53), and variety of out-of-home experiences increased from kindergarten to first grade (d = .30). A substantial percentage of the sample increased or decreased their participation in home-based or school-based activities. The degree of change in parent provision of cognitive stimulation from kindergarten to first grade and variety of out-of-home experiences from prekindergarten to kindergarten predicted children's first-grade mathematics skills. Increases in home learning resources from prekindergarten to kindergarten were associated with higher first-grade mathematics outcomes of children with lower prekindergarten-entry mathematics skills.

The user side of sustainability: Modeling behavior and energy usage in the home

Society is becoming increasingly aware of the impact that our lifestyle choices make on energy usage and the environment. As a result, research attention is being directed toward green technology, environmentally-friendly building designs, and smart grids. This paper looks at the user side of sustainability. In particular, it looks at energy consumption in everyday home environments to examine the relationship between behavioral patterns and energy consumption. It first demonstrates how data mining techniques may be used to find patterns and anomalies in smart home-based energy data. Next, it describes a method to correlate home-based activities with electricity usage. Finally, it describes how this information could inform users about their personal energy consumption and to support activities in a more energy-efficient manner. These approaches are validated by using real energy data collected in a set of smart home testbeds.

How nurses cope with occupational stress outside their workplaces

Nursing is acknowledged as a stressful occupation, and the negative impact of high stress levels have been widely researched. Less attention has been paid to methods for coping with stress. The researchers conducted a study to explore and identify how nurses cope with work-related stress away from their work environments. Six focus groups were conducted with 38 nurses, including nursing directors, nurse unit managers, and ward nurses from a wide range of clinical areas. From the interview material, 11 coping strategies were identified: drinking alcohol, smoking, using the staff social club, using social networking websites, exercising, family activities, home-based activities, outdoor activities, avoiding people, displacement, and sleep. Although several adaptive strategies appear in this list (e.g., exercising, home-based activities), some nurses were using unhealthy behaviours to cope with work-related stress (e.g., drinking alcohol, smoking, displacement). This study clearly demonstrates the value of using qualitative approaches to understanding how nurses cope with stress. Knowledge produced locally, such as that generated for the hospital in this study, should serve as the foundation for organisational strategies to enhance the health of nurses.

Responsive homes of old Cairo: Learning from the past, feeding in the future

By investigating the social dynamics of home in one of the enduring communities of Cairo, this article reveals the way ordinary people construct and consume their private and public domains on a daily basis. It reveals what is central and what is marginal in the cognitive idea of home. This article adopts an interdisciplinary strategy of investigation, utilizing sociological and anthropological data to read and visit spatial practices in the home. Building on historical as well as contemporary accounts of residents and families, the concept of home is envisioned as a spectrum of social spheres that is liberated from the physical determinants of space, hence revealing a new domain of part-time spaces and dynamic spatiality. The emergent idea of home intertwines work, domesticity, recreation and hospitality in an interplay of space–activity–time relationships. Homes of old Cairo have proved to be responsive to continuous change, and have evolved dynamic forms of the temporal settings required for accommodation of emerging home-based professional activities such as hospitality, home-workers and care-homes.

A Feasibility and Efficacy Randomized Controlled Trial of an Online Preventative Program for Childhood Obesity: Protocol for the EMPOWER Intervention

Background: The home and family environment is a highly influential psychosocial antecedent of pediatric obesity. Implementation of conventional family- and home-based childhood obesity interventions is challenging for parents, often requiring them to attend multiple educational sessions. Attrition rates for traditional interventions are frequently high due to competing demands for parents’ time. Under such constraints, an Internet-based intervention has the potential to modify determinants of childhood obesity while making judicious use of parents’ time. Theory-based interventions offer many advantages over atheoretical interventions, including reduced intervention dosage, increased likelihood of behavioral change, and efficient resource allocation. Social cognitive theory (SCT) is a robust theoretical framework for addressing childhood obesity. SCT is a behavior change model rooted in reciprocal determinism, a causal paradigm that states that human functioning is the product of a dynamic interplay of behavioral, personal, and environmental factors. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of the Enabling Mothers to Prevent Childhood Obesity Through Web-Based Education and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) program, an Internet-based, theory-driven intervention for preventing childhood overweight and obesity. The project goal is supported by two specific aims: (1) modification of four obesogenic protective factors related to childhood obesity (minutes engaged in physical activity, servings of fruits and vegetables consumed, servings of sugar-sweetened and sugar-free beverages consumed, and minutes engaged in screen time), and (2) reification of five maternal-mediated constructs of SCT (environment, expectations, emotional coping, self-control, and self-efficacy). Methods: We will recruit mothers with children ages 4 to 6 years from childcare centers and randomly assign them to either the theory-based (experimental) or knowledge-based (control) arm of the trial. Data for the intervention will be collected at three intervals: baseline (week 0), posttest (week 4), and follow-up (8 weeks). At each phase of data collection, we will collect from both groups (1) measures of the four obesogenic protective factors, and (2) summated SCT construct scores. Constructs will be measured by a psychometrically valid and reliable SCT-based instrument. Behaviors will be evaluated by a behavior log. We will use a repeated-measures one-between-, one-within-participants design to evaluate intervention results. Constructs will be modified through Web-based learning modules, online interactive worksheets, and mother–child home-based activities. Process evaluation will assess program fidelity.

The Relationship Between Father Involvement in Family Leisure and Family Functioning: The Importance of Daily Family Leisure

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fathers’ involvement in family leisure and aspects of family functioning from both a father and young adolescent perspective. The sample consisted of fathers and their adolescent child from 647 families throughout the United States. Results from both the father and youth perspective indicated significant relationships between father involvement in both core and balance family leisure with family cohesion, family adaptability, and overall family functioning. Satisfaction with core family leisure that included the father's involvement was the single strongest predictor of all aspects of family functioning from both perspectives highlighting the importance of regularly occurring home-based family activities such as eating dinner together, participating in hobbies and informal sports or yard activities together, watching television together, or playing board games and video games together. Discussion and implications for fathers, families, practitioners, and future research are presented.

Systematic review of family and home‐based interventions targeting paediatric overweight and obesity

The family and home environment is a highly influential psychosocial antecedent of paediatric obesity. The purpose of this investigation was to systematically analyze family and home-based randomized control trials aimed at treating overweight and obesity in children ages 2-7 years. In gathering materials for this review, a search of Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, MEDLINE, Education Resources Information Center, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences Collection and CENTRAL databases was conducted for the time frame of January 2001 to August 2011. The data extraction spanned three phases resulting in a total of nine interventions that met the specified inclusion criteria. Among the identified studies, eight produced significant outcomes. The majority of the programmes incorporated educational sessions targeting parents as the primary modality for intervention delivery. Less than one-quarter of the interventions included home visitations; however, all of the interventions included home-based activities to reinforce behaviour modification. Only three of the interventions applied social and behavioural theory, and only two interventions employed process evaluation. Additional research is needed to gauge the efficacy of the home and family milieu for treating paediatric obesity.

Validity of a Multi-Sensor Armband for Estimating Energy Expenditure during Eighteen Different Activities.

Purpose:To examine the validity of an armband physical activity monitor in estimating energy expenditure (EE) over a wide range of physical activities.Methods:68 participants (mean age=39.5 ± 13.0 yrs) performed one of three routines consisting of six activities (approximately 10 min each) while wearing the armband and the Cosmed K4b2 portable metabolic unit. Routine 1 (n=25) involved indoor home-based activities, routine 2 (n=22) involved miscellaneous activities, and routine 3 (n=21) involved outdoor aerobic activities.Results:Mean differences between the EE values in METs (criterion minus estimated) are as follows. Routine 1: watching TV (−0.1), reading (−0.1), laundry (0.1), ironing (−1.3), light cleaning (−0.4), and aerobics (0.4). Routine 2: driving (−0.6), Frisbee golf (−0.9), grass trimming (−0.5), gardening (−1.5), moving dirt with a wheelbarrow (−0.1), loading and unloading boxes (0.1); Routine 3: sidewalk walking (−1.0), track walking (−0.8), walking with a bag (−0.6), tennis (1.6), track running (2.2), and road running (2.1). The armband significantly overestimated EE during several light-to-moderate intensity activities such as driving (by 74%), ironing (by 70%), gardening (by 55%), light cleaning (by 15%), Frisbee golf (by 24%), and sidewalk walking (by 26%) (P<0.05). The arm band significantly underestimated high intensity activities including tennis (by 20%), and track or road running (by 20%).Conclusion:Although the armband provided mean EE estimates within 16% of the criterion for nine of the 18 activities, predictions for several activities were significantly different from the criterion. The armband prediction algorithms could be refined to increase the accuracy of EE estimations.

The policy and practice of ‘sustainable lifestyles’

This paper explores the rapidly developing research agenda surrounding individual commitments towards the environment, manifested by a series of environmental practices. Such practices encompass a wide range of activities, including energy and water conservation, ‘green' consumption and travel and tourism behaviours. Conventionally, researchers have chosen to study such activities individually, exposing the motivations behind specific behaviours. More recent research has suggested that ‘spillover’ effects (or generalisability) can occur between different types of activity, leading to a notion that a series of sustainable ‘lifestyles’ can be identified. However, these lifestyles have often been framed around home-based activities and have paid less attention to practices beyond thehome environment, particularly travel and tourism behaviours. This paper presents research that explored attitudes towards different forms of environmental practices, both within and beyond the home. Based on a series of focus group discussions with specific lifestyle groups, the paper highlights the contested nature of environmental practice in the UK and argues that whilst most individuals are willing to take steps in the home to be environmentally friendly, this rarely translates to tourism practices and raises questions concerning the viability of ‘sustainable lifestyles’ as a useful concept for exploring environmental practice.