Social Factors Associated with the Effectiveness of a Spanish Parent Training Program—An Opportunity to Reduce Health Inequality Gap in Families

Noelia Vázquez, Pilar Ramos, M.Cruz Molina and Lucia Artazcoz
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Noelia Vázquez: Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Plaça Lesseps, 1, Barcelona, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
Pilar Ramos: Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Plaça Lesseps, 1, Barcelona, 08023 Barcelona, Spain
M.Cruz Molina: Department of Methods of Research and Diagnosis in Education, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
Lucia Artazcoz: Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Plaça Lesseps, 1, Barcelona, 08023 Barcelona, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 7, 1-11

Abstract: Parent training programs (PTPs) have been used extensively in Anglo-Saxon countries, but less so in Southern Europe. Several characteristics of families have been linked to effective parenting and positive development of children, but few studies have examined the social determinants of the effectiveness of PTPs. The Parenting Skills Program for families (PSP) is a PTP from Spain. This study aimed to identify the social characteristics (sex, age, country of birth, marital status, educational level, and employment status) of parents that determine the success of the PSP in relation to social support, parenting skills, parental stress, and negative behaviors among children. A quasi-experimental study with a prepost design with no control group was used. We conducted a survey before (T0) and after the intervention (T1). Sample size was 216. We fit multiple logistic regression models. Parenting skills increased more among parents with a lower educational level. Parents’ stress decreased more among parents who had a lower educational level, were unemployed, and were men. Social support increased among parents who were younger, unemployed, or non-cohabiting. We found no significant differences in the effect on children’s negative behaviors according to the social factors evaluated. The PSP is effective for socioeconomically diverse families, but the success differs according to the parents’ social profile. Unlike most previous studies, the results were better among more socially disadvantaged people, highlighting the potential of this kind of intervention for reducing the social inequality gap between groups.

Keywords: children; parenting; psychological intervention; health; social inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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