Ania Filus

Validation of the Spanish version of the CAPES A brief instrument for assessing child psychological difficulties and parental self-efficacy

In the present study, we explored the factor structure as well as validity and reliability of the Spanish version of the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) suitable for assessing child behavioural and emotional difficulties (Intensity Scale) and parental self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy Scale) among Spanish-speaking parents from the US, Latin America and Spain. This instrument was designed to be brief and easy to read in order to reach parents with low-literacy levels and from under-resourced backgrounds. Psychometrics for the English version of the CAPES indicates good internal consistency, as well as satisfactory construct and predictive validity of the measure (Morawska et al., 2014). A sample of 174 parents of children (91 boys and 78 girls) from Panama participated in this study. They completed the instrument alongside the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) for measuring child psychological problems and the Parenting Task Checklist (PTC) for measuring parental self-efficacy. In addition, a group of 49 parents completed the CAPES at time 1 (T1) and 2 weeks after (T2). Psychometric evaluation of the Spanish version of the CAPES revealed that it has adequate internal consistency and test–retest reliability, as well as satisfactory convergent and discriminant validity. In conclusion, this instrument shows promise as a brief outcome measure to be used in clinical settings and to assess the effects of parenting interventions among Spanish-speaking parents. More research into psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the CAPES is needed, before it can be widely applied in practice.

Correlates of Prenatal Parenting Expectations in new Mothers: Is Better Self-Efficacy a Potential Target for Preventing Postnatal Adjustment Difficulties?

The extent to which a mother’s prenatal expectations are realistic or unrealistic has been associated with postnatal adjustment in first-time mothers. This cross-sectional study investigated the associations with prenatal parenting expectations to determine what makes them more or less realistic. A mediational model was developed to explain the relationships between family and social support, maternal adjustment (i.e., depression, anxiety, worry, stress, and happiness), parenting self-efficacy, and prenatal expectations. We recruited 255 first-time expectant mothers living in Brisbane, Australia. Using structural equation modeling, we found that higher levels of social and family support were associated with lower levels of maternal maladjustment, which in turn was related to higher parental self-efficacy. Finally, self-efficacy was a significant positive predictor of prenatal parenting expectations, implying that the more confident mothers are, the more realistic are their parenting expectations during pregnancy. This was a fully mediated effect. Our findings are of particular relevance for the educational and counseling services offered to pregnant mothers. Specifically, they could assist health professionals in identifying mothers who may be prone to having unrealistic expectations and prepare them for the demands and challenges of having a new baby, which may prevent poor adjustment in the postnatal period.

Working with parents to treat anxiety-disordered children: A proof of concept RCT evaluating Fear-less Triple P

Little is known about the efficacy of parent-only interventions and the maintenance of gains over time with anxiety-disordered children and adolescents. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a 6-session parent-focused intervention (Fear-less Triple P) in reducing childrens anxiety symptomatology. The parents of 61 anxiety-disordered children (7-14 years) were randomly assigned to either the 6-session parent-only group CBT intervention or a wait-list control (WL) group. Diagnostic and questionnaire measures were administered at post-treatment; as well as 3-, 6- and 12 months following the completion of treatment. Families in the WL group were re-assessed after 6 weeks (the duration of the active intervention) and were then offered the intervention. The parent-only intervention produced superior outcomes for children on diagnostic and questionnaire measures. The percentages of children free of any anxiety diagnosis following the intervention were 38.7% (post-treatment); 58.6% (3-mth); 69.2% (6-mth); and 84% (12-mth). At the post-treatment assessment point, 3.4% of children in the WL group were free of any anxiety diagnosis. Mother and child questionnaire measures demonstrated gains from pre to post-treatment that were maintained over time. This proof of concept study suggests that the brief, parent-only intervention evaluated is an efficacious treatment approach for child anxiety disorders. A parent-only, group CBT intervention such as the one described here offers a cost-effective, low intensity alternative to traditional child-focused interventions.

The International Parenting Survey: Rationale, Development, and Potential Applications

ABSTRACT The quality of parent-child interactions and family relationships has a powerful influence on children’s development and well-being. The International Parenting Survey (IPS) is a brief, web-based survey developed to provide a cross-national, community-level, population snapshot of the experiences of parents related to raising children. The IPS was developed as a planning tool to assist policy makers and community agencies plan, implement, and evaluate parenting programs and as a tracking tool to evaluate parenting support programs in different countries. We report the preliminary psychometric properties of the IPS on various domains of measurement in an international sample of over 9,000 parents. Moderate to high reliabilities were obtained for all domains of measurement. High internal consistency reliabilities (α = .88–.97) were obtained for the domains of children’s behavior and emotional maladjustment, for parental self-efficacy, parental distress and parental beliefs. Moderate levels of reliabilities (α = .52–.83) were obtained for domains of parental consistency, coercive parenting, positive encouragements, and parent-child relationships. Overall, the measure appears to have satisfactory reliability justifying further psychometric validation studies in population level studies of parenting. Examples of uses of the IPS are described and directions for future research and policy explored.

Validation of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales to Measure Parenting Skills and Family Adjustment in Chinese Parents

This study validated a parent-report measure of the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales in a Chinese cultural context through investigating 650 Chinese parents. The results provided evidence for satisfactory reliability and validity of Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales in a Chinese context, which is thus promising to be used for Chinese parents.

Relationships Between Parental Power, Prestige, and Acceptance, and the Psychological Adjustment of Young Adults in Poland

This article explored relationships between perceived maternal and paternal acceptance, parental power and prestige, and young adults’ psychological adjustment in Poland. The sample consisted of 200 college students (38% men) ages 20 through 22 (M = 21.10). The measures used were the child versions of the Parental Acceptance–Rejection Questionnaire for mothers and fathers, the youth version of the Parental Power–Prestige Questionnaire, and the adult version of the Personality Assessment Questionnaire. Results showed that maternal and paternal acceptance were significantly and positively correlated with offspring’s psychological adjustment. Furthermore, fathers’ high power and prestige were positively correlated with women’s psychological adjustment, whereas mothers’ high power was positively correlated with men’s adjustment. However, hierarchical regression analyses showed that only paternal (but not maternal) acceptance was a unique predictor of women’s psychological adjustment as well as of men’s adjustment. The regression analysis also suggests that the less power–prestige fathers had relative to mothers (beyond the point where both parents were perceived to be approximately equal in power and prestige), the better was men’s adjustment. No significant moderating effects were found.

Initial Validation of the Parent-Report Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale (CAPES) in a Chinese Cultural Context:

This study aimed to validate a parent-report measure of child adjustment and parenting efficacy (Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale [CAPES]) in a Chinese cultural context. Six hundred and fifty Chinese parents in China participated in the study and completed a set of questionnaires including the CAPES, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale (PSOC), and the Parenting and Family Adjustment Scales (PAFAS). The factorial, convergent, and concurrent validity as well as internal consistency were evaluated. The results provided support for a new 2-factor structure of child behavioral and emotional adjustment. The 1-factor structure of parenting efficacy was confirmed. The three constructs obtained satisfactory internal consistency. Moreover, the CAPES scores correlated significantly with the SDQ, PSOC, and PAFAS in the expected pattern, which indicated its excellent convergent and concurrent validity. Therefore, it is a promising measure, due to its brevity and comprehensiveness, with the first indications of satisfactory internal consistency and validity among Chinese parents. However, a revision of the instrument is needed to avoid the ordering effects of positive and negative items, and further hypothesis-driven research is also needed to validate the (revised) instrument in different Chinese samples.

Dietary patterns of Australian children at three and five years of age and their changes over time: A latent class and latent transition analysis

Consuming a healthy diet characterised by a variety of nutritious foods is essential for promoting and maintaining health and wellbeing, yet the diets of Australian children continue to fall well short of national healthy eating recommendations. This research endeavours to identify patterns of dietary intake in Australian children at three and five years of age and investigate associations between early childhood dietary patterns and socio-economic and demographic indicators and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as identify changes in childrens dietary patterns over time. Cross-sectional dietary patterns were derived for 1565 and 631 children aged three and five years, respectively using Latent Class Analysis (LCA), with changes over time analysed with Latent Transition Analysis (LTA). Demographic variables of interest included child sex, parental age, family status, and use of childcare services and socio-economic variables included education, income and employment status. Three patterns of dietary intake were identified at three years (Highly Unhealthy, Healthier and Moderately Unhealthy) and two patterns at five years (Unhealthy and Healthier). Children with younger mothers, working mothers, fathers with a higher BMI and living in a two-carer household were more likely to have unhealthy eating patterns at three years, and children with working mothers and living in a two-carer household were more likely to have unhealthy patterns of dietary intake at five years. Approximately one eighth of the sample transitioned from the healthier to unhealthy pattern of dietary intake from three to five years. The quality of Australian childrens diets appears to be declining through the early childhood years, continuing to highlight the importance of nutrition policies and interventions targeted towards the early years of life.