Effectiveness of a parent education intervention for at-risk families.

ISSUES AND PURPOSE Although many parenting programs exist to prevent child maltreatment, few are supported by research evidence. This study explored whether parents who completed the Bavolek Nurturing Program improved their parenting attitudes. DESIGN AND METHODS Secondary analysis of data from a larger study involved a convenience sample of 154 families from 15 county child maltreatment prevention councils. RESULTS On the pretest, parents demonstrated scores associated with maladaptive parenting practices. Posttest scores were consistent with nurturing parenting attitudes. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Effective and readily accessible parent education programs are highly indicated for prevention of child maltreatment. It is important for nurses to have the information either to provide effective parent education interventions or to be able to refer parents to effective programs.

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