Sample Of Parent-child Dyads Research Articles

A routine within a routine: Can bedtime yoga improve sleep for the whole family?

Parents often point to bedtime as a source of frustration, yet early bedtimes and sufficient sleep are important for children's development, learning, and behavior. ObjectivesThis pilot study aimed to assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a yoga-based bedtime routine in a sample of parent-child dyads from a rural community. MethodsUsing a waitlist control study design, children aged 2–5 years and their parent were randomized to either intervention (yoga) or control (bedtime story) groups. Pre- and post-intervention measures included the CHAOS, CSHQ, and FNPA scales. Height, weight, and waist circumference were measured by trained staff, while sleep and physical activity were tracked using accelerometry. ResultsOf the 15 dyads that completed all assessments, 13 (81.2%) completed at least 16 yoga sessions. CSHQ scores improved in both groups (Cohen's d 0.42 vs. 0.52 for intervention and control, respectively), and FNPA scores improved in the intervention group (Cohen's d = 0.4). The number of sessions completed was inversely correlated with changes in CHAOS score (r = −0.74, p = 0.003). DiscussionThese findings suggest that a yoga-based bedtime routine is feasible for families with 2-5-year-old children, with good adoption and adherence. Improvements in sleep and household chaos measures indicate that a yoga routine may be slightly more effective than a story-based one. This study provides preliminary support for further research on a yoga-based bedtime routine in a larger sample.

Testing an attachment- and trauma-informed intervention approach for parents and young children after interparental violence: protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundInterparental violence has persistent adverse effects on victimized parents and children. Young children, including infants and toddlers, are at particular risk to develop long-lasting negative outcomes, and yet specific evidence on effective intervention approaches for this vulnerable group is still lacking. This study will test the effectiveness of an attachment- and trauma-informed intervention approach in a sample of parent-child dyads who have experienced severe interparental violence. We test the individual and combined effects of two interventions: (1) “Nederlandse Interventie Kortdurend op Atypisch oudergedrag” (NIKA; Dutch, short-term intervention focused on atypical parenting behavior) aimed at improving the attachment relationship and (2) eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy aimed at reducing parental post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.MethodsThis study uses a multicenter randomized controlled design across multiple domestic violence shelters in the Netherlands. We aim to recruit 150 parent-child dyads with children aged between 0.5 and 6 years old. The study design consists of two phases. During the first phase for testing the effect of NIKA only, eligible dyads are randomly allocated to either NIKA or a waitlist usual care group. A pre-test is conducted prior to the treatment period and a post-test takes place directly afterwards (6 weeks after the pre-test). Phase 2 follows directly for testing the effects of EMDR and the combination of NIKA and EMDR. Parents who report clinical PTSD symptoms are randomly allocated to either EMDR therapy or a waitlist usual care group. Parents who do not report clinical PTSD symptoms only receive care as usual. Six weeks later, a post-test of phase 2 is conducted for all participating dyads. Primary study outcomes are disrupted parenting behavior, sensitive parenting behavior, and parental PTSD symptoms. Secondary study outcomes include PTSD symptoms and behavioral and emotional problems of the child.DiscussionThis study will inform and enhance the clinical field by providing new insights regarding effective treatment combinations for traumatized parents and their young children after interparental violence.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register (NTR) NL9179. Registered 7 January 2021

So, what is it? Examining parent-child interactions while talking about artifacts in a museum

We examine children's (N = 40; 4–8-years-old) spontaneous interactions with parents and museum staff while exploring artifacts in a living history museum. Our aim was to connect the cognitive development literature on reasoning and learning about artifacts to children's daily experiences with artifacts in the presence of influential others, namely, parents and experts. Our sample of parent-child dyads come from primarily White, university educated, and middle-class homes. Museum staff, who are experts in the historical period and the artifacts, were available for interaction with the dyads. We examined a total of 4051 child, 5698 parent, and 5747 staff utterances, half of which pertained to artifacts. We identified what artifact features children, parents, and staff discussed, what pedagogical strategies parents and staff employed while discussing different features of artifacts, and how children respond to these pedagogical strategies. The nature of discussions about artifacts evolved with child age, as the proportion of children's talk related to simple identification decreased with age. Parents and staff provided unique learning opportunities by discussing different aspects of artifacts at different rates. For example, parents identified more artifacts using critical thinking questions, whereas museum staff provided children with more operation and purpose information about artifacts using procedural information. Parents and staff used a variety of strategies to teach their children about different artifact properties, which were compatible with how children learn new concepts. Children also responded to different pedagogical strategies differently; they were most engaged and produced more information in response to critical thinking questions. These findings are some of the first to capture spontaneous parent-child-expert interactions during artifact exploration.

Examining parent and child agreement in the diagnosis of adolescent depression.

The diagnosis of depression in adolescents relies on identifying the presence of specific core and additional symptoms. Symptoms can be identified using structured or unstructured interviews and a range of questionnaire measures, which are completed by the young person and by a parent or carer. The aim of this research was to examine the inter- and intra-rater reliability of parent report and adolescent self-report of depression symptoms. In a sample of parent-child dyads, where young people aged 13-17 were referred to a mental health service for depression, we examined adolescents' (n=46) and parents' (n=46) independent responses to the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia in School-Age Children (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1997, 980) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 27, 1988, 726). In the clinical interview, diagnostic criteria were more often met based on the adolescent's report, and adolescents endorsed more symptoms of depression than their parents. Tentative results also suggest that parent-child agreement about specific symptoms was low. Comparing different measures of depression revealed that adolescent report on the questionnaire and interview was significantly correlated. However, there was no significant correlation between parent questionnaire and interview report. These results suggest that relying solely on parents to identify depression in their children may result in young people with depression being missed and therefore untreated. Young people themselves should be encouraged and enabled to recognise the symptoms of depression and have an established pathway to services that offer assessment and treatment. Key Practitioner Message Diagnosis of depression in adolescents requires the identification of specific symptoms and can be identified using interviews or questionnaires. Previous research has suggested that parents and young people provide differing reports regarding symptoms of adolescent depression. Results indicated that diagnostic criteria were more often met based on young person report and that parents reported significantly less symptoms. Parent-child agreement about specific symptoms was found to be low. Assessment of adolescent depression should not rely solely on parental report. Young people should be encouraged and enabled to recognise symptoms of depression and be able to access mental health services.

Directive and non-directive food-related parenting practices: Associations between an expanded conceptualization of food-related parenting practices and child dietary intake and weight outcomes

This study examines associations between an expanded conceptualization of food-related parenting practices, specifically, directive and non-directive control, and child weight (BMI z-score) and dietary outcomes [Healthy Eating Index (HEI) 2010, daily servings fruits/vegetables] within a sample of parent-child dyads (8–12 years old; n = 160). Baseline data from the Healthy Home Offerings via the Mealtime Environment (HOME Plus) randomized controlled trial was used to test associations between directive and non-directive control and child dietary outcomes and weight using multiple regression analyses adjusted for parental education. Overall variance explained by directive and non-directive control constructs was also calculated. Markers of directive control included pressure-to-eat and food restriction, assessed using subscales from the Child Feeding Questionnaire; markers of non-directive control were assessed with a parental role modeling scale and a home food availability inventory in which an obesogenic home food environment score was assigned based on the types and number of unhealthful foods available within the child's home food environment. Directive controlFood restriction and pressure-to-eat were positively and negatively associated with BMI z-scores, respectively, but not with dietary outcomes. Non-directive controlAn obesogenic home food environment was inversely associated with both dietary outcomes; parental role modeling of healthful eating was positively associated with both dietary outcomes. Neither non-directive behavioral construct was significantly associated with BMI z-scores. Total varianceGreater total variance in BMI-z was explained by directive control; greater total variance in dietary outcomes was explained by non-directive control.Including a construct of food-related parenting practices with separate markers for directive and non-directive control should be considered for future research. These concepts address different forms of parental control and, in the present study, yielded unique associations with child dietary and weight outcomes.