Long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of family foundations: effects on children’s emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment.

TitleLong-term follow-up of a randomized trial of family foundations: effects on children's emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment.
Publication TypeJournal Article
AuthorsFeinberg, Mark E., Damon E. Jones, Michael E. Roettger, Anna Solmeyer, and Michelle L. Hostetler
PubMed ID25485672
Grant ListK23 HD042575 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States
R21 MH064125-01 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States

This study examines long-term effects of a transition to parenthood program, Family Foundations, designed to enhance child outcomes through a strategic focus on supporting the coparenting relationship. Roughly 5 to 7 years after baseline (pregnancy), parent and teacher reports of internalizing and externalizing problems and school adjustment were collected by mail for 98 children born to couples enrolled in the randomized trial. Teachers reported significantly lower levels of internalizing problems among children in the intervention group compared with children in the control group and, consistent with prior findings at age 3, lower levels of externalizing problems for boys in the intervention group. Baseline level of observed couple negative communication moderated intervention effects for parent and teacher report of child adjustment and teacher report of school adjustment and adaptation. Effect sizes ranged from 0.40 to 0.98. Results indicate that relatively brief preventive programs for couples at the transition to parenthood have the capacity to promote long-term positive benefits for children’s adjustment. Although we attended to missing data issues in several ways, high levels of attrition in this long-term follow-up study is a cause for caution.

Title Long-term follow-up of a randomized trial of family foundations: effects on children's emotional, behavioral, and school adjustment.
Publication Title J Fam Psychol
Publication Type Journal Article
Published Year 2014
Authors M.E. Feinberg; D.E. Jones; M.E. Roettger; A. Solmeyer; M.L. Hostetler
ISSN Number 1939-1293
PubMed ID 25485672
Grant List
K23 HD042575 HD NICHD NIH HHS United States
R21 MH064125-01 MH NIMH NIH HHS United States

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