Examining Predictors Of Parent Attendance At Strengthening Families Program For Youth Ages 10-14
Open Access
- Author:
- Bamford, Sandra Lynn
- Area of Honors:
- Human Development and Family Studies
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Gregory M. Fosco, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Lisa Michelle Gatzke-Kopp, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- strengthening families program
parent attendance
SFP - Abstract:
- Family attendance at evidence-based family intervention programs has been the focus of research for decades. Researchers aim to understand the entire picture of what influences parents to enroll their family in an intervention program, what brings them to the first session, and what factors influence their attendance throughout the duration of the program. Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 (SFP 10-14) is an example of a program with promising results that would benefit even more families if they could be recruited and encouraged to attend. Another major focus of current research is uncovering why fathers are so absent. The goal of this study is three-fold: to identify what factors at the baseline of SFP 10-14 influence total parent attendance at the program, to understand the process of what leads parents to attend at higher rates and lower rates, and to get a closer look at the under-present and poorly understood fathers in family interventions. A literature review on these topics shows support for the main study hypothesis that intervention readiness variables could explain why certain parents attend SFP 10-4 at different rates than other parents. After analyzing data from two waves Strengthening Families Program: For Parents and Youth 10-14 and Modified Strengthening Families Program (MSFP) at Penn State, only partial support for the hypotheses was found. Mothers’ report of interparental conflict and their perception of their parenting influence predicted their motivation to change. Due to these results, the study’s understanding of parents and why they engage family interventions is limited. More specifically, this study highlights how important fathers are to focus on moving forward in intervention research.