Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

Informed Parents and Children Together (ImPACT)

OVERVIEW

ImPACT is a home-based intervention designed to increase monitoring (supervision and communication) by parents/guardians of African-American adolescents regarding high risk and protective behaviors. Intervention parents and adolescents received the ImPACT program and a video emphasizing parental supervision and discussion followed by a structured discussion and role-play emphasizing key points. Control parents and adolescents received an attention-control program on goal-setting, which also included an at-home video and discussion. At 2 and 6 months postintervention, the ImPACT program increased similarity of reports by ImPACT adolescents and their parents of adolescents involvement in risk and protective behaviors. In addition, at 6 months post-intervention, ImPACT (compared with GFT) adolescents also demonstrated higher levels of condom-use skills. No significant differences were found by intervention status in the rates of any single risk behavior at baseline or 2 or 6 months post intervention.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: low-income parents/guardians of African American adolescents

ImPACT is a home-based intervention administered to parents (and their adolescent children) by a trained interventionist. The intervention includes an in-home video showing, role playing activities, and follow-up discussions. The video (22 min) addresses parental monitoring, parent-child communication, contraception and STD issues, and drug and alcohol usage. It provides clear and specific information on how to avoid risk (sexual and drug risks, and risks to poor parent-adolescent communication). The follow-up discussion and role playing activities reinforce the underlying themes of the video, and provides parents and adolescents an opportunity to practice newly gained skills (e.g., proper condom usage and effective communication). At the end, parents are given a copy of the video and written materials highlighting the main points discussed in the video.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbrath, J., Cornick, G., Feigelman, S. Kaljee, L., & Zhou, Y. (2000). Journal of Adolescent Health, 26, 18-26.

Evaluated population: A total of 237 dyads (parents/guardians and one child (ages 12-16 years) were recruited from eight public housing developments in the mid-Atlantic region. 96% of the parents were female. The median of adolescents was 13.6 years, and over half (51%) were male.

Approach: The impact of the intervention was assessed through a randomized, controlled longitudinal evaluation involving 237 dyads (parent/guardian, and one child aged 12-16 years). Parents were randomly assigned to the experimental condition (ImPACT) or to the control (alternative) condition, the Goal for IT (GFT) program. Equivalent in format and duration, the GFT program also consists of an in-home video showing (22 min) and follow-up discussion, with parents being given a copy of the video and written materials at the end. The GFT video, in an entertaining and skill-based manner, focuses on the process and steps in planning for education and career training. Unlike, ImPACT however, there is no follow-up discussion of parental monitoring, parent-child communication, contraception and STD issues, and drug and alcohol usage. The control dyads do not participate in any role playing activities. Following randomization, four questionnaires were administered to parents and their adolescent children via computer. The questionnaires measured adolescent engagement in risk behaviors (e.g., having a boyfriend/girlfriend, alcohol consumption, cigarette smoking, illicit drug usage, carried a weapon) and protective behaviors (achieved honor roll, receipt of an award); parental awareness of adolescent engagement is risk and protective behaviors; dyadic perception of parental monitoring and family communication; and dyadic condom-use skills. The post-intervention questionnaires were repeated at 2 months and 6 months.

Results: Analysis of the baseline questionnaires and two-month post-intervention questionnaires provide evidence that the ImPACT intervention significantly increased parental monitoring. At baseline, agreement within dyads as to the adolescents’ involvement in risk behaviors did not differ on the basis of intervention status (ImPACT or GFT), with all parents substantially under-estimating their child’s risk behaviors. However, at 2 months post intervention, agreement among ImPACT dyads was significantly higher for reports on cigarette smoking than GFT dyads. At 6 months post intervention, agreement among ImPACT dyads compared with GFT dyads was significantly higher for reports of boyfriend/girlfriend status. Analyzed only at 6 months post intervention, ImPACT adolescents compared with GFT adolescents were significantly more likely to demonstrate condom-use correctly. However, no significant impacts were found by intervention status for dyadic perceptions of parental monitoring of family communication at baseline or 2 or 6 months post intervention.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

References

Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbrath, J., Cornick, G., Feigelman, S. Kaljee, L., & Zhou, Y. (2000). Journal of Adolescent Health, 26, 18-26.

Program also discussed in the following Child Trends publication(s):

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: adolescents (12-16 years)/ Program age ranges in the Guide: 12-14, 15-21

Program components: home visiting; parent or family component

Measured outcomes: behavioral problems

Program information last updated 11/7/2007.