Low-income Parents Research Articles

Socioeconomic factors and parents' preferences for internet- and mobile-based parenting interventions to prevent youth mental health problems: A discrete choice experiment

BackgroundThe positive impact of parenting programs for youth mental health is undermined by difficulties engaging parents. Low engagement disproportionately impacts parents of lower-socioeconomic positions (SEPs). Internet- and mobile-based interventions hold potential for overcoming barriers to enrolment, but additional research is needed to understand how programs can appropriately meet the needs of parents across SEPs. Consumer preference methods such as discrete choice experiments may be valuable in this endeavour. MethodA discrete choice experiment was used to determine the relative influence of modifiable program features on parents' intent to enrol. 329 Australian parents of children aged 0–18 repeatedly selected their preferred program from randomized sets of hypothetical programs in an online survey. Each hypothetical program was unique, varying across four program features: module duration, program platform, user control, and program cost. Cumulative link models were used to predict choices, with education, household income, and community advantage used as indicators of SEP. ResultsOverall, parents preferred cheaper programs and briefer modules. Parents' preferences differed based on their socioeconomic challenges. Lower-income parents preferred briefer modules, cheaper programs and application-based programs compared to higher-income parents. Parents with less education preferred briefer modules and a predefined module order. Parents living in areas of less advantage preferred website-based programs, user choice of module order, and more expensive programs. ConclusionsThis study offers program developers evidence-based strategies for tailoring internet- and mobile-based parenting interventions to increase lower-SEP parent enrolment. Findings also highlight the importance of considering parents' socioeconomic challenges to ensure programs do not perpetuate existing mental health inequalities, as “one-size-fits-all” approaches are likely insufficient for reaching lower-SEP parents.

Treatment Outcomes of Childhood Tuberculous Meningitis in a Real-World Retrospective Cohort, Bandung, Indonesia

We retrospectively evaluated clinical features and outcomes in children treated for tuberculous meningitis (TBM) at Hasan Sadikin Hospital, Bandung, Indonesia, during 2011–2020. Among 283 patients, 153 (54.1%) were <5 years of age, and 226 (79.9%) had stage II or III TBM. Predictors of in-hospital death (n = 44 [15.5%]) were stage III TBM, hydrocephalus, male sex, low-income parents, seizures at admission, and lack of bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination. Predictors of postdischarge death (n = 18 [6.4%]) were hydrocephalus, tuberculoma, and lack of bacillus Calmette-Guérin vaccination. At treatment completion, 91 (32.1%) patients were documented to have survived, of whom 33 (36.3%) had severe neurologic sequelae and 118 (41.7%) had unknown outcomes. Predictors of severe neurologic sequelae were baseline temperature >38°C, stage III TBM, and baseline motor deficit. Despite treatment, childhood TBM in Indonesia causes substantial neurologic sequelae and death, highlighting the importance of improved early diagnosis, better tuberculosis prevention, and optimized TBM management strategies.

Promoting parenting in home visiting: A CACE analysis of Family Foundations.

This randomized trial tested the impact of an established prevention program for first-time parents, Family Foundations, adapted for low-income mothers and fathers as a series of sessions provided to couples in their homes. To assess program impact, we recruited and randomly assigned a sample of 150 low-income adult mother-father dyads (not necessarily still romantically involved, cohabiting, or married) during pregnancy or shortly after birth. The randomly assigned intervention families participated in Family Foundations Home Visiting (FFHV), consisting of 11 in-home sessions focusing on parental cooperation, collaboration, and conflict management to support children's development. Complier average causal effect (CACE) analysis was used to examine program impact on parental adjustment and parenting for families completing nine or more program sessions. Results indicated significant positive complier effects for mothers' and fathers' reports of depression, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms, coping with stress, and psychological aggression by fathers toward mothers at post-intervention, controlling for pre-intervention scores. Intervention parents also demonstrated higher levels of affection, engagement, and sensitivity with the infant based on observer coding of videotaped parent-child interactions. These findings indicate that the focus of Family Foundations on enhancing coparenting offers similar benefits for low-income parents and children who are compliers as has the group-format Family Foundations (FF) version in trials with universal samples of cohabiting or married parents. Results are discussed in terms of implications for home visiting, engaging fathers, and optimizing child outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

The CDC’s Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey – Using Intersectionality and School Connectedness to Understand Health Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The CDC’s Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey – Using Intersectionality and School Connectedness to Understand Health Disparities During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The discrepancy evaluation model in the implementation of online learning (on the basis of parents’ perceptions)

Introduction. The evaluation of online learning is an attempt to see the extent of the education process in Indonesia. This evaluation study seen from parents’ perception is a new study that has not been carried out. Most dominant researchers evaluate the learning process by emphasising the school, but it has not been touched from the parent’s side.Aim. This study aims to evaluate the implementation of online learning based on the perceptions of parents of students.Research methodology and methods. A discrepancy evaluation model method is used in the present research. The discrepancy evaluation model embodies five stages of evaluation: reviewing designs and standards, comparing implementation strategies, reviewing whether the process produces goals, comparing discrepancies with objectives, and cost and benefit analysis. The research subjects were 231 parents, who were involved using a simple random sampling technique. Data were collected using online questionnaires and interview sheets. A table of evaluation criteria and descriptive analysis were employed to analyse the data.Results and scientific novelty. The study results show that the implementation of online learning can run well, but the government needs to prepare appropriate policies to maintain the quality of learning. On average, 72.82% of parents think that the online learning process is sufficient. There are still psychological obstacles in the form of fatigue, anxiety, too many tasks, and technical obstacles in the form of a slow Internet network and the lack of availability of online learning facilities such as cellphones, laptops, personal computers, which are input and follow-up devices for schools, so that online learning is expected to continue to be improved increasing its effectiveness.Practical significance. This research implies that evaluation is one of the indicators that can measure the success of a programme. To implement the online learning programme, namely in junior high schools in Indonesia, it is necessary to have a special education policy by paying attention to the segmentation of the characteristics of parents, especially groups of low-income parents and education level.

"People Think It's Easy Because I Smile, But It's Not Easy": The Lived Experiences of Six African American Single Mothers.

Grounded in Resilience Theory (Masten et al., 1990; Walsh, 1996; Walsh, 2002; Walsh, 2003) with a specific focus on parental resilience (Gavidia-Payne et al., 2015), this qualitative phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of low-income Female adult single parent (FASP) families. Each family had at least one adolescent aged 11 through 21 enrolled in special education classes and engaging in risk behaviors. Two central research questions were addressed. The first focused on the lived experiences of FASP and the second focused on their perspectives on how schools can enhance their support. Data were collected through face-to-face, in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Three major themes emerged: Life adjustment, The child is the priority, and Perseverance revealing their experience to be one of resilience. Participants also shared and provided insight on their perspectives regarding how schools can better support families. Findings revealed limited parent-school collaboration and highlight the need for further research with this population in the context of resilience. Suggestions for schools and communities working with such families are discussed.

Recurrence of Substantiated Maltreatment Reports between Low-Income Parents With Disabilities and Their Propensity-Score Matched Sample Without Disabilities.

Using the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect dataset, 127 low-income parents with disabilities and a propensity score matched sample of 254 parents without disabilities were compared for the rates of repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations and potentially distinct risks for substantiated child maltreatment recurrence. The number of substantiated child maltreatment allegations was not significantly higher for low-income parents with disabilities (M = 1.17, SD = 1.83) than their matched sample (M = .93, SD = 1.44) (t = -1.29, p = .197). Findings from the negative binomial regression indicated that parental disability was also not a significant predictor for repeated substantiated child maltreatment allegations among low-income parents after controlling other risk factors (Exp(B) = 1.16, p < .353). In both groups, black parents were more likely to have repeated substantiated maltreatments than white parents. For parents with disabilities, being an older parent, receiving SNAP benefits, having a daughter, and having a child in continued out-of-home care significantly increased the risk for repeated substantiations while having a GED or higher education degree and living with a larger number of family decreased the risk. For parents without disabilities, family instability was the only additional risk factor for repeated maltreatment substantiations.

Lifestyle Behaviors and Parents' Mental Well-Being Among Low-Income Families During COVID-19 Pandemic.

BackgroundThe coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has negatively altered many families’ lifestyles and the mental well-being of parents, especially those who have a low income and young children. To improve low-income parents’ mental well-being, especially during a pandemic, understanding parents’ and children’s lifestyle behaviors and the relationship between their lifestyle behaviors and parents’ mental well-being is essential.ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study examined relationships between lifestyle behaviors (sleep, physical activity, screen time, and eating behavior of parents and children) and low-income parents’ well-being (stress, anxiety, and depression) during COVID-19.MethodsParents were recruited from two Michigan Head Start organizations as well as across the United States; 408 parents completed an online survey. Demographic characteristics were assessed, along with parents’ sleep, physical activity, screen time, and dietary intake; stress, anxiety, and depression were also examined. Children’s sleep time, physical activity, screen time, and fruit/vegetable intake were assessed. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and the multivariate general linear model procedure were used.ResultsApproximately 69.4% of parents reported moderate stress levels, and 17.2% reported high levels. Most parents had sleep disturbances, attained minimal physical activity, and consumed <5 fruits/vegetables per day; average screen time was >2 hours per day. Only 41% of preschoolers were active 7 days a week and slept ≥10 hours per day. Two thirds had >2 hours per day of screen time, and less than one fifth consumed ≥5 fruits/vegetables per day. After adjusting for parents’ demographics and children’s lifestyle behaviors, parents’ sleep disturbance was positively correlated with their levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. After controlling for parents’ demographics and lifestyle behaviors, child sleep time was negatively associated with parents’ stress levels. Family demographics and parents’ and children’s lifestyle behaviors explained 33.4%, 29.8%, and 28.1% of the variances in parents’ stress, anxiety, and depression, respectively.DiscussionMost parents and preschoolers were not meeting many lifestyle behavior recommendations, indicating a need for interventions. Improving parents’ sleep quality and reducing bedtime challenges involving their preschoolers may be necessary for enhancing parental mental well-being.

Developmental Monitoring and Referral for Low-Income Children Served by WIC: Program Development and Implementation Outcomes.

To develop, implement, and assess implementation outcomes for a developmental monitoring and referral program for children in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Based on Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Learn the Signs. Act Early. campaign, the program was developed and replicated in two phases at 20 demographically diverse WIC clinics in eastern Missouri. Parents were asked to complete developmental milestone checklists for their children, ages 2months to 4years, during WIC eligibility recertification visits; WIC staff referred children with potential concerns to their healthcare providers for developmental screening. WIC staff surveys and focus groups were used to assess initial implementation outcomes. In both phases, all surveyed staff (n = 46) agreed the program was easy to use. Most (≥ 80%) agreed that checklists fit easily into clinic workflow and required ≤ 5min to complete. Staff (≥ 55%) indicated using checklists with ≥ 75% of their clients. 92% or more reported referring one or more children with potential developmental concerns. According to 80% of staff, parents indicated checklists helped them learn about development and planned to share them with healthcare providers. During thesecond phase, 18 of 20 staff surveyed indicated the program helped them learn when to refer children and how to support parents, and 19 felt the program promoted healthy development. Focus groups supported survey findings, and all clinics planned to sustain the program. Initial implementation outcomes supported this approach to developmental monitoring and referral in WIC. The program has potential to help low-income parents identify possible concerns and access support.

Parental perceptions of the food environment and their influence on food decisions among low-income families: a rapid review of qualitative evidence

BackgroundThe food environment within and surrounding homes influences family dietary habits with socio-economic areas at a nutritional disadvantage. Families’ perception of the food environment and how it influences their food decisions is less clear. This rapid review aimed to synthesise qualitative evidence of parental perspectives of the food environment and their influence on food decisions among disadvantaged families.MethodQualitative and mixed-methods peer-reviewed journal articles published after 2000, that explored the perspectives of low-income parents in relation to their food environment and how this impacted food decisions for families with children aged 2-17 years, were included in this review. Embase, Scopus and PsycINFO were the databases chosen for this review. Search strategies included seven concepts related to family, food, perceptions, influences, environment, socio-economic status and study type. Two independent reviewers screened sixty-four studies. Thematic synthesis was employed.ResultsTwo thousand one hundred and forty five results were identified through database searching and 1,650 were screened. Fourteen articles that originated from the US, Australia and the UK were included in this review. No articles were excluded following quality appraisal. Child preferences, financial and time constraints, and location and access to food outlets were barriers to accessing healthy food. Parental nutrition education and feeding approaches varied but positive outcomes from interventions to address these behaviours will be short-lived if inequities in health caused by poverty and access to affordable and healthy food are not addressed. The reliance on social support from families or government sources played an important role for families but are likely to be short-term solutions to health and nutritional inequities.ConclusionsThis qualitative evidence synthesis provides an insight into the perceptions of low-income parents on the factors influencing food decisions. Findings have implications for public health and the development of effective strategies to improve the dietary habits of children of disadvantaged families. Sustainable changes to dietary habits for families on low-income requires policy responses to low income, food access and to the high cost of healthy foods.

Low-income parents' perceptions of a sweetened beverage tax in Philadelphia.

Objective: To characterise perceptions of the Philadelphia Beverage Tax among low-income parents. Design: We conducted semi-structured interviews and administered demographic questions via telephone. We based the interview guide and initial codebook on a conceptual model illustrating perceived fairness and effectiveness as essential for successfully adopting food policies. We performed thematic analysis using NVivo 12. Setting: We recruited from a primary care paediatrics clinic in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from July to August 2020. Participants: Philadelphia parents/caregivers of 2- to 11-year-old children with Medicaid insurance. Results: Participants were predominantly African American (97 %), female (100 %), and had annual household incomes <$50 000 (80 %). Participants were 26- to 72-years old, with an average aged child of 5 years (range 7 months to 20 years). Themes emerged regarding tax perceptions, revenue use and behaviour change due to the tax. Using revenue for highly valued programmes and accountability of city government to use revenue as promised were critical elements in perceptions of tax fairness. Some parents avoided the tax through cross-border shopping and buying drink powders or concentrates, influencing perceptions of tax effectiveness. The tax signalled the health dangers of sweetened beverage consumption to most parents. Conclusion: Our findings bring to light four key takeaways for policymakers designing sweetened beverage taxes. (1) Dedication of tax revenue to programmes highly valued by parents and (2) transparency in revenue spending may improve acceptability. (3) State or national taxes may be more effective at decreasing consumption due to cross-border shopping. (4) Pairing taxes with health promotion campaigns may enhance behaviour change.

Effects of parental public health insurance eligibility on parent and child health outcomes

Many states expanded their Medicaid programs to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). These expansions increased Medicaid coverage among low-income parents and their children. Whether these improvements in coverage and healthcare use lead to better health outcomes for parents and their children remains unanswered. We used longitudinal data on a large, nationally representative cohort of elementary-aged children from low-income households from 2010 to 2016. Using a difference-in-differences approach in state Medicaid policy decisions, we estimated the effect of the ACA Medicaid expansions on parent and child health. We found that parents’ self-reported health status improved significantly post-expansion in states that expanded Medicaid through the ACA by 4 percentage points (p < 0.05), a 4.7% improvement. We found no significant changes in children’s use of routine doctor visits or parents’ assessment of their children’s health status. We observed modest decreases in children’s body mass index (BMI) of about 2% (p < 0.05), especially for girls.

The Apple of Dad’s Eye: Paternal Affective Attitudes Predicting Early Childhood Behavior Problems

ABSTRACT Objective The Family Affective Attitude Rating Scale (FAARS) uses an audio-recorded speech sample to measure parents’ affective attitudes toward their children. The present study investigated the psychometric properties of this scale for use with fathers, concurrent predictors of paternal affective attitudes (parental depressive symptoms, inter-parental relationship quality, observed paternal parenting), and associations between fathers’ positive and negative affective attitudes toward their two-year-old children and children’s behavior problems one year later. Methods Participants were a sample (N = 226) of families from the Early Steps Multisite Study, a longitudinal study of low-income parents and children. Participants were racially and ethnically diverse (65% white; 23% Black or biracial; 12% Latinx). Results Initial validation results support the reliability and validity of FAARS coding in fathers of preschoolers, a previously untested group. Both maternal and paternal depressive symptoms and interparental relationship quality were significantly associated with fathers’ affective attitudes toward their children. Further, fathers’ positive affective attitudes predicted lower mother-reported child behavior problems one year later, controlling for a host of demographic covariates, fathers’ observed parenting, mothers’ affective attitudes, and child baseline behavior problems. Conclusions Results indicate that fathers’ positive attitudes toward their young children are a unique and robust predictor of lower levels of early behavior problems.

Cultivating social capital in diverse, low-income neighborhoods: The value of parks for parents with young children

Neighborhood built environment features, including parks, may contribute to social capital, but these relationships have not been adequately explored in communities of color. Our study focused on a specific subset of this population—a national sample of diverse, low-income parents with young children (n = 1,611)—to assess relationships between social capital, parks (e.g., access, visit frequency, and satisfaction), and other aspects of the built environment (e.g., perceptions of neighborhood walkability, traffic, and crime). We found that park satisfaction (a measure of park quality) was strongly linked to social capital among low-income parents, but park use frequency and access (both related to park quantity) were not. Neighborhood walkability and safety from crime were also strong positive correlates of social capital. Despite social benefits of parks, moderate to low ratings of park satisfaction, neighborhood walkability, safety from crime, and social capital within our sample suggest that inequities in park and neighborhood quality may prevent families who might benefit the most from social capital (i.e., low-income minority populations) from enjoying key resources needed to cultivate it. Cities hoping to enhance social capital in vulnerable communities would be wise to invest in quality parks and built environment features that create opportunities for positive social interactions among low-income parents with young children.

Socioeconomic status and parent perceptions about the costs and benefits of youth sport.

ObjectivesDescribe what costs and benefits parents across the socioeconomic spectrum weight most heavily when making decisions about sport participation for their children.MethodCross-sectional survey of a nationally representative online panel of parents of children between the ages of 5 and 18 (n = 1025, 52% response rate). Parents rated the importance of a series of potential costs and benefits of youth sport and these responses were compared across tertiles of per capita family income. We first examined the association between family income tertiles and cost and benefit variables. Model-based cluster analysis was then used to identity homogeneous groups of responses to costs and benefits.ResultsIn all income tertiles, the top two benefits of sport were the same: having fun and being physically active. Sport as a means of keeping children out of trouble was very important for 64% of low-income parents as compared to 40% of high-income parents. Obtaining a college athletic scholarship was very important for 26% of low-income parents, as compared to 8% of high-income parents. Relative rankings of potential costs were similar by income tertile, with risk of concussion and other injury and the impact of sport on schoolwork prioritized across tertiles.ConclusionsParents prioritized fun and fitness in sport, and were concerned about injury and the impact of sport on academics. Lower income parents were the most likely to view keeping their child out of trouble, and the potential for a college athletics scholarship, as benefits of sport. Efforts to support parental decision making should be grounded in an understanding that family preferences are contextually constrained. While all parents should be appropriately informed about the potential costs and benefits they are weighting in their sports-related decision making, such family-focused efforts should be balanced with the recognition that structural change is needed to address income-related concerns about sport participation.

Applying the Integrative Model to Predict Intention to Use Corporal Punishment Among Low-income Parents.

Child corporal punishment (CP) is associated with child physical abuse, which is a public health problem in the United States. Informed by the integrative model of behavioral prediction, this study surveyed low-income Black, Hispanic, and White parents who had children younger than 6 years old (N = 260) to identify major risk factors that determined intention to use CP to discipline children. Structural equation modeling revealed that attitudes, descriptive norms, and perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies were associated with intention to use CP. Additionally, parents' childhood CP frequency and past use of CP with their own children were influential distal variables that indirectly predicted CP intention. Results indicated the utility of the model in this behavioral context. Communication intervention programs targeting low-income parents should leverage perceived norms, perceived efficacy of alternative discipline strategies, and attitudes to change CP behavior.

Socioeconomic Disparities in Parental Spending after Universal Cash Transfers: The Case of the Alaska Dividend

Abstract Parental child-related spending represents an important pathway to promote children’s human capital development and material well-being. It is also, however, a pathway that perpetuates social inequalities given the well-known socioeconomic divide in parental spending on children. Although several studies have documented the extent to which current family income is associated with spending on children, we still know little about the causal effects of additional income on child-related spending across the socioeconomic strata. In this paper, I examine the effects of income gains due to universal and unconditional cash transfers from the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend on child-related spending. Using longitudinal household expenditure data from the 1996–2015 Consumer Expenditure Surveys, I exploit exogenous variation in the generosity of the Alaska Dividend to estimate short- and long-term disparities in parental expenditures resulting from payouts. Results provide a unique opportunity to compare the behavior of high- and low-income parents after an income boost. I find that low- and middle-income parents use cash transfers to catch up with their more affluent counterparts in the short and long term. Low-income parents are, however, unable to keep up with the long-term increases in child-related spending made by their middle-income counterparts. Implications of results for the reproduction of socioeconomic inequalities and for current and proposed cash-transfer policies are discussed.

Information and Communication Technology Access and Use Among Low-Income Latino Immigrant Parents.

Development of mHealth interventions to address health disparities for Latino children in immigrant families requires understanding access to and use of information and communication technology. We examined access to information and communication technology and use of common applications/programs by low-income immigrant Latino parents of infants to inform development of mHealth interventions for this population. Latino immigrant parents reported technology use and access of common applications/software via survey. Of the 157 participants, we found nearly all parents owned a smartphone and that 60% accessed the internet only via their smartphone. Around one-quarter of participants had access to unlimited data. Frequent use of text messaging was common, but frequent email use was less common. Less than 10% of participants frequently used health-oriented applications. Our findings suggest that mHealth interventions that use data, email, or an application interface may not have the intended reach or effectiveness among low-income immigrant Latino parents. Consideration of these findings is important in guiding the development of future mHealth programs for the low-income Latino population. This study was registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT02647814).

A rapid review of factors influencing food decisions among economically disadvantaged families

Abstract Introduction The importance of external and household family food environments in establishing healthy eating habits during childhood is well reported. Deprived areas are at a nutritional disadvantage due to the high prevalence of fast food outlets and convenience stores. Little is known about the impact of food environments on food-related behaviours of low-income families. This rapid review aimed to synthesise available qualitative evidence on parental perspectives of environmental factors that influence food planning, purchasing and processing among economically disadvantaged families with children. Methods This review included qualitative and mixed-methods studies published after 2000 from Europe, North America and Oceania. Search strategies included seven concepts: family, food, perceptions, influences, environment, socio-economic status and study type. Thematic synthesis was employed. Results Fourteen articles from the USA, Australia and the UK remained following screening by two reviewers. All parents had a desire to provide healthy food for their children, but they were impeded by child food preferences and beliefs about food behaviours and nutrition. In the external environment, food outlets/availability, cost and marketing influenced food choices amongst parents. Social determinants had a dominant negative influence on food decisions, including hectic daily schedules and time constraints and most importantly limited finances. Social support and support from nutrition programmes and cooking interventions had a positive influence on family food decisions. Conclusions This synthesis of qualitative evidence highlights the challenges and opportunities that low-income parents face to feed their families. Improvements in parental food choices and feeding behaviours can only be improved if inequities in health, such as access to affordable healthy food, are addressed. Key messages This review concluded that income, time constraints, food cost and limited food availability/outlets can have a negative effect on family food decisions. Social supports such as cooking programmes play a positive role in ensuring healthy food options for families.

Delivering Health Information to Parents via a Theory-Informed SMS-Based Intervention: Development and Results from a Pilot Study.

Short message service (SMS), or text-based, health interventions offer a promising opportunity to deliver health education and have been shown to improve diet and exercise. However, few are theory-based or target low-income parents. This pilot study, informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), primarily sought to determine if health education delivered via SMS was feasible and acceptable to low-income parents of young children. Using a one-group, pre- to post-test study design to assess a 12-week SMS-based health education program, parents enrolled in a health-related program at an early childhood development center for low-income families were sent three text messages per week that corresponded to a weekly diet or physical activity-related theme. Surveys assessed pre-post changes in TPB constructs and collected program feedback. Among the 119 eligible parents invited to participate, 109 were sent all text messages for the duration of the study. Participants were mostly Black (98.9%), 25-39years old (83.9%), female (93.8%), and in single-parent households (63.8%). More than half (n = 59) completed the pre-survey, answered a bi-directional program text, or completed the post-survey. Twelve participants completed both the pre- and post-survey and at least one bi-directional text. Post-survey results revealed that most participants liked the program design and enjoyed their experience with the program. SMS-based interventions can simplify delivery of health information to low-income parents of young children. Although engagement was low, retention was high, and feedback was largely positive.