Publication year
2003
Citation Title
Deterrents to participation in parenting education
Journal Name
Family and Consumer Sciences Research Journal
Journal Volume
31
Issue Number
4
Page Numbers
403-424
DOI
10.1177/1077727X03251075
Summary
While many parenting education programs have been shown to improve parenting skills and behaviors, programs often have difficulty getting parent participation. This study surveyed parents of children in daycare about demographic information and deterrents to participating in parent education. Findings suggest some demographic factors may relate to the five identified parent education deterrents.
Key Findings
The most commonly reported reasons for not participating in parenting education opportunities were trouble finding childcare, being unaware of opportunities, and inconvenient times offered.
Five themes of deterrents to parent education were identified (i.e., lack of parent confidence, lack of relevance, parent personal problems, pragmatic concerns, time concerns).
Parents who were Black, unemployed, or had lower levels of education or income were more likely to report factors related to a lack of confidence as deterrents to parent education.
Time was a large deterrent for parents with more children and older children, while personal problems were a bigger deterrent for unemployed and low-income parents.
Implications for Military Professionals
Collaborate with programs for military families to inform parents of available parenting education opportunities and promote participation
Attend workshops about deterrents to parent education specific to military families in order to enhance their ability to provide more accessible programs to military parents
Implications for Program Leaders
Disseminate information to military families to increase parenting self-efficacy and decrease confidence concerns about attending parenting education opportunities
Offer childcare and transportation to military families attending parent education classes
Implications for Policy Makers
Promote the development of online parenting education programs to allow military parents to participate with reduced concerns related to transportation, time, and childcare
Recommend education for providers working with military families regarding the associations between demographic factors and parent education participation
Methods
Families were recruited from daycare facilities in a rural Southeastern United States county.
Seven of 18 eligible daycare facilities agreed to mail surveys to families, and 112 of the 249 families randomly selected to receive surveys responded (45% response rate).
A parent from each family completed a survey regarding demographic information and deterrents to participating in parenting education opportunities.
Associations between demographic variables and parent education deterrents were examined.
Participants
Participants included 112 parents, who were 95% female and had an average age of 30.2 years.
Parents identified as 51% White, 44% Black, 3% Latino, 2% Native American, and 1% Asian-American.
Parents reported relatively low levels of education (23% less than a high school degree, 51% high school degree, 26% college degree), employment (34% unemployed, 16% employed part-time, 51% employed full-time), and income (52% less than $15,000 per year total income).
Limitations
Participants had relatively low levels of employment, education, and income, and results may not generalize to the larger population of parents of young children.
Response rates were low, and parents who responded may differ from parents who did not, particularly in regards to levels of program participation.
Mostly females responded, and male parents may differ in their deterrents to parent education.
Avenues for Future Research
Compare differences in deterrents to parent education between male and female caregivers
Examine reported deterrents to parent education and actual program participation rates to understand which reported barriers are most predictive of non-participation
Investigate parent education program participation rates with and without childcare and transportation provided by the program
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the deterrents to participation by adults in parenting education programs. The objectives were (a) to describe parents with children in selected day care facilities on selected sociodemographic characteristics, (b) to determine factors that deterred those parents from participating in parenting education, and (c) to determine if there was a relationship between selected sociodemographic characteristics and the parents' participation in parenting education programs. A simple random sample of parents was drawn from the accessible population. Factor analysis revealed five factors that deterred this population from participating in parenting education: Lack of Confidence, Lack of Course Relevance, Personal Problems, Situational Barriers, and Time. Correlation coefficients and mean differences revealed a significant relationship between factors and specific sociodemographic variables.
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