Committed Couple Expecting a Child, Family Relations, Parenting
Conditions
Keywords
Expectant parents, Relationship education
Brief summary
This study investigates the effectiveness of a program to strengthen the relationships of disadvantaged expectant couples, and to increase co-parenting, father involvement, and economic stability. Couples are randomly assigned to Family Expectations or a control group, and assessed at baseline and one year.
Detailed description
The birth of a child can trigger relationship distress and dissolution. Family Expectations (FE) targets the transition to parenthood as a critical time to help couples focus on family success. Regardless of whether couples are married or unmarried, the goal of FE is to strengthen relationships and advance the well-being of economically disadvantaged couples who are expecting a baby or who are new parents, and to improve the lives of their children. The FE program, including the Becoming Parents (BP) curriculum and supplemental services, is designed to address specific risk factors that affect individual family members and the relationships among them, and to build protective factors that help families avoid, minimize, or manage risks (e.g., individual maladaptation \[mother, father, child\], couple relationship difficulties, parenting difficulties, and economic insufficiency). A total of 1,355 couples will be randomly assigned to either Family Expectations (n = 813; 60%) or an untreated control group (n = 542; 40%). Once assigned, participants in the study will complete baseline questions by survey. Those assigned to the FE track will be scheduled for services with the FE intervention team and the control group will not receive the FE intervention. Members of the intervention and control groups will be surveyed both before they are randomly assigned and 12 months later. The study will examine if the Family Expectations program is associated with improved outcomes on relationship quality, stability, parenting quality, father involvement, child wellbeing, and hopefulness about employment.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALFamily Expectations
Relationship education and referral services for expectant couples.
Sponsors
Children's Bureau - Administration for Children and Families
University of Denver
Public Strategies
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Masking description
Open Label
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Both partners are willing to participate 2. Partners have a commitment to be together as a couple 3. Both partners are the biological parents of a child in a current pregnancy or of a child born within the past 3 months 4. Fluent in English (study and intervention materials are in English)
Exclusion criteria
1\. Either or both partners have taken part in Family Expectations services before
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Individual wellbeing | Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points. | Symptoms of depression and anxiety. Respondents will self-report using survey methods. |
| Relationship adjustment | Baseline and 1 year post baseline (to assess change over time). Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points. | This outcome will be measured by a composite of measures to relationship quality (support and affection, global relationship satisfaction, and confidence in the future of the relationship). Respondents will self-report using survey methods. |
| Relationship stability | 1 year post baseline | Couple remains romantically involved. Self-reported by survey methods. |
| Interaction quality | Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change (or maintenance) relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points. | This outcome will be measured by a composite of measures that assess communication and conflict management abilities (communication skills, constructive conflict management, destructive conflict management). Respondents will self-report using survey methods. |
| Co-parenting quality | 1 year post baseline. | The quality of the co-parenting relationship between the expectant partners will be self-reported using survey methods. |
| Child outcomes | 1 year post baseline. | Infant temperament and wellbeing will be assessed by parent self-report using survey methods. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Changes in Income | Baseline and 1 year post baseline. Change relative to control group will be assessed across the two time points. | Income will be measured by self-report using survey methods. |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed