Parent Support Intervention Research Articles

Development and Feasibility of a Parental Support Intervention for Adolescent Smokers

The aim of this investigation was to develop and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a parental support intervention. A new measure of perceived parental support for stopping smoking was also developed. The sample included 59 adolescent-parent pairs recruited from a mid-sized Midwestern town during 2000–2003. The mean ± SD age of the participants (32 males, 27 females) was 16.3 ± 0.9 (range 14–18) years and 86% were Caucasian, 7% American Indian, 5% African American, and 2% Hispanic. Participants were randomized to parental support or minimum behavioral intervention. Severity of nicotine dependence was evaluated using the Fagerström Tolerance Questionnaire, and perceived social support was evaluated using the Family Environment Scale and the new measure of perceived parent support for stopping smoking that was developed as part of this investigation. Treatment attendance, adherence, and acceptability were also evaluated. The parental support intervention was feasible but not superior to the minimum behavioral intervention with respect to attendance, retention, or change in support. This study expands on the knowledge of treating adolescent smokers and presents a new assessment measure. The study's limitations are noted. This investigation was funded by NICHHD.

Family support interventions for adolescent parents

Child care centers are serving an increasing number of children of adolescent parents. Providing a social support network and parenting education for these parents is important to the development of both the children and their parents. Successful family support intervention programs are reviewed and implications for child care programs are presented.

Evaluation of an early, mass media parental support intervention

This article reports on the evaluation of Parents Magazine, an age-paced newsletter distributed to parents starting with the birth of their children. The evaluation was carried out after the newsletter's first year of circulation. Measures were taken of reader satisfaction as well as impact on parents' knowledge, attitudes and behavior toward education and use of community resources. Findings indicated that the newsletter's penetration of families and their natural milieu was strong but that it had a limited impact. However, the parents who received the newsletter developed more positive attitudes toward community resources. The articles discusses the implication of these findings for future research.