A Tale of Two Parenting Interventions: Programme Effects on Sensitive and Responsive Caregiving in Brazil and the United Kingdom
type: CreativeWork
description: Background The mechanisms underpinning global parenting interventions to support optimal early development are not well understood. Questions pertaining to how these programmes drive child outcomes, *for whom* they are most effective, and *whether longitudinal* effects can be sustained *real-world contexts*, continue to persist. This thesis contributes empirical evidence on the topic by evaluating the effectiveness of two large-scale, standard-care parenting interventions in Brazil (Primeira Infância Melhor; PIM) and the United Kingdom (Video Feedback for Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline; VIPP-SD). Treatment impacts on key parent behavioural outcomes (i.e. sensitivity and responsiveness) and potential moderation by program dosage and family demographics are explored. Settings, Participants, Primary Measures Findings are based on two separate impact evaluation studies. The first is a propensity score matched, longitudinal, quasi-experimental study which uses data from the *2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort* in Brazil. Out of 4,275 children in the cohort, 797 were enrolled in the state-wide home-visiting program, PIM. Children who received PIM were matched with other cohort children on 25 key covariates. Families were assessed prenatally, at baseline, 3-months, 24-months and four-years. Effects of PIM were estimated at four-year follow-up on five parenting behavioural outcomes, including three observational measures of parent sensitivity, coerciveness and responsiveness. Separate moderation analyses were conducted for each moderator: family income, child age and duration of participation. The second study uses data from *Healthy Start Happy Start*, a pragmatic, two-arm, multi-site randomized controlled trial in the United Kingdom. Participants included 300 families, with children between 12 to 36 months of age at high risk for behaviour problems. Data were collected at baseline, 5-months and 24-month-follow-up. Effects of VIPP-SD on caregiver sensitivity at 5-month…
abstract: Background The mechanisms underpinning global parenting interventions to support optimal early development are not well understood. Questions pertaining to how these programmes drive child outcomes, *for whom* they are most effective, and *whether longitudinal* effects can be sustained *real-world contexts*, continue to persist. This thesis contributes empirical evidence on the topic by evaluating the effectiveness of two large-scale, standard-care parenting interventions in Brazil (Primeira Infância Melhor; PIM) and the United Kingdom (Video Feedback for Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline; VIPP-SD). Treatment impacts on key parent behavioural outcomes (i.e. sensitivity and responsiveness) and potential moderation by program dosage and family demographics are explored. Settings, Participants, Primary Measures Findings are based on two separate impact evaluation studies. The first is a propensity score matched, longitudinal, quasi-experimental study which uses data from the *2015 Pelotas Birth Cohort* in Brazil. Out of 4,275 children in the cohort, 797 were enrolled in the state-wide home-visiting program, PIM. Children who received PIM were matched with other cohort children on 25 key covariates. Families were assessed prenatally, at baseline, 3-months, 24-months and four-years. Effects of PIM were estimated at four-year follow-up on five parenting behavioural outcomes, including three observational measures of parent sensitivity, coerciveness and responsiveness. Separate moderation analyses were conducted for each moderator: family income, child age and duration of participation. The second study uses data from *Healthy Start Happy Start*, a pragmatic, two-arm, multi-site randomized controlled trial in the United Kingdom. Participants included 300 families, with children between 12 to 36 months of age at high risk for behaviour problems. Data were collected at baseline, 5-months and 24-month-follow-up. Effects of VIPP-SD on caregiver sensitivity at 5-month…
author: Healy, Morgan
language: eng
keywords: Early childhood development, Early intervention, Executive function, home visiting, Parenting intervention, Parenting programme, Policy evaluation, Propensity score matching, Quasiexperimental study, Randomized controlled trial, Responsiveness, Self-regulation, Sensitivity
license: https://apollo8-f-pro.lib.cam.ac.uk/bitstreams/704dbd4e-50d2-4fc0-842d-b984806db535/download
license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
date published: 2024-06-12
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:21Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.112983