A self-guided, academic-focused online parenting program to promote positive parenting and parent well-being: A randomized controlled trial in Hong Kong

Yan Li, Florrie Fei-Yin Ng, Irene Nga-Lam Sze and Jenny Yau

Children and Youth Services Review, 2025, vol. 173, issue C

Abstract: Parenting programs are generally costly and difficult to scale. Moreover, existing programs are often designed for parents in the Global North, and parenting in the academic domain has received sparse attention. Focusing on this domain, we designed the Empowerment for Positive and Reflective Parenting (EPARP) program—a fully self-guided program delivered via a mobile app that lasted for five weeks. The aim of EPARP was to promote positive and reflective parenting as well as parental well-being among Hong Kong Chinese parents of school-aged children. In a randomized controlled trial involving 978 parents (Mage = 40.94 years; 88.3% female), we found that after receiving the EPARP, parents viewed parental autonomy support in the academic domain more positively and psychological control in this domain more negatively, and they reported more positive affect, ds = 0.15– 0.31. They also reported higher levels of mindful parenting, d = 0.18, although program effects were not found for other parenting practices. Our findings suggest that mobile app may be a promising platform for delivering effective, fully self-guided online parenting programs that are potentially scalable.

Keywords: Parenting; Intervention; Achievement; Affect; Well-being (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:cysrev:v:173:y:2025:i:c:s0190740925001586

DOI: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108275

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