Filipino Family Initiative: Engaging Immigrants in Faith-Based Preventive Parenting Interventions
Project Description:
Evidence-based parenting interventions provided in early childhood have proven to be effective in preventing the onset and escalation of child mental health disorders. However, participation rates in parenting interventions are low (20-25%) severely limiting the impact of efficacious programs at the population level. The NIH has given high priority to research that examines strategies to reach and retain hard-to-engage populations in evidence-based programs. Yet, little attention has been devoted to developing and evaluating strategies to increase participation in preventive parenting programs, especially among hard-to-reach immigrant populations. The overall objective of the proposed research is to pilot-test a faith-based, evidence-based preventive parenting intervention among Filipino immigrant parents of young children living in low-income, urban Los Angeles neighborhoods. This population was chosen because: 1) Filipinos are the second largest immigrant population in the U.S. with the highest concentration living in Los Angeles; 2) Filipinos are exposed to multiple adversities, including immigration stress and relocation, loss of social status, and lower self-esteem due to discrimination, placing young children at risk for future behavioral and mental health problems; 3) U.S.-born Filipino youth exhibit higher rates of mental health problems than non-Hispanic whites and attain significantly lower levels of education than their foreign-born counterparts and other U.S.-born Asian American populations; 4) Filipinos are less likely than non-Hispanic whites to participate in mental health and preventive care interventions; and 5) Filipinos have strong associations with religious institutions - thus, collaborating with the faith community is a culturally congruent approach to engaging this population. The specific aims are: 1) To use and document a community partnered research approach with the faith community to more effectively align an evidence-based intervention, the Incredible Years Parenting Program with the faith community?s priorities and structures; 2) Evaluate the effects of the Incredible Years Parenting Program on parenting practices among Filipino immigrant families using a randomized experimental design. The sample will include 36 Filipino immigrant families (18 intervention and 18 wait-list control). Data will be obtained using process evaluation tracking system, focus group interviews, and self-report instruments. It is hypothesized that the intervention group parents will demonstrate fewer negative parenting practices than the control group parents after participating in the intervention. Findings will support the development of a culturally appropriate intervention protocol designed specifically for use in faith-based settings and for a full scale health promotion clinical trial to be evaluated in a future R01 application. This proposal works to transform clinical and translational research by enhancing public trust and reaching out to a large, underserved, and urban population and engaging community partners to ensure that evidence-based practices move successfully into real-world settings where they are currently underutilized. Such strategies are critical in addressing mental health disparities seen between Filipino and non-Filipino youth.
Keyword(s):
Filipino Family Initiative
Core Function(s):
Performing Research or Evaluation
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention, Other - Cultural Diversity
Target Audience:
Family Members/Caregivers
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Urban, Other
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
Single-County
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
