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. In an initial evaluation, 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 post-intervention, 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.
A subsequent evaluation of the program compared examined 817 adolescent participants randomly assigned to one of the following three study groups: 1) the Focus on Kids intervention (FOK), 2) the FOK plus the ImPACT intervention, or 3) the FOK and ImPACT interventions plus periodic FOK booster sessions. Results indicated that the addition of the ImPACT intervention (with or without booster sessions) led to significantly more favorable adolescent outcomes on six of 16 risk-taking indicators, including delinquency, substance use, and sexual behavior, with marginally significant impacts on two additional sexual behaviors.
Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbrath, J., Cornick, G., Feigelman, S. Kaljee, L., & Zhou, Y. (2000). Journal of Adolescent Health, 26, 18-26.
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.
Stanton, B., Cole, M., Galbraith, J., Li, X., Pendleton, S., Cottrel, L., Marshall, S., Wu, Y., & Kaljee, L. (2004). Randomized trial of a parent intervention: Parents can make a difference in long-term adolescent risk behaviors, perceptions, and knowledge. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 158, 947-955.
Evaluated population: 817 adolescents from 35 low income study sites in Baltimore served as the sample for this evaluation. The median age of the sample was 14, and 58% of the participants were female.
Approach: Randomization occurred at the site level. Each site was randomly assigned to one of the three following study conditions: 1) the Focus on Kids intervention (FOK), 2) the FOK plus the ImPACT intervention, or 3) the FOK and ImPACT interventions plus periodic FOK booster sessions. Adolescents in all three study groups were given baseline assessments and follow-ups at 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month time points. At these assessments, participants provided self-reports of their involvement in risk behaviors, including delinquency, substance use, and sexual risk-taking.
All of the study groups participated in the Focus on Kids (FOK) intervention. The FOK intervention was comprised of eight sessions designed to decrease adolescent risk-taking behaviors. The program emphasized good decision making, goal setting, communication, negotiating, and consensual relationships regarding sexual encounters, alcohol and drug use, and selling drugs. The intervention was implemented in a small group format and used games, discussions, homework assignments, and videotapes to present the curriculum. Additional information regarding this intervention can be found in the Focus on Kids LINKS program summary.
Parents participating in the ImPACT intervention watched the 22 minute program video. Following the viewing, parents and adolescents participated in role-playing activities, for which interventionists provided feedback. Finally, interventionists conducted condom demonstrations.
Participants in the FOK booster group attended four, 90-minute sessions delivered 7, 10, 13, and 16 months after the intervention. In these sessions, program leaders reviewed the material originally presented in the FOK intervention.
Results: Results indicated that participants receiving the FOK plus ImPACT (with or without boosters) interventions reported significantly more favorable outcomes than participants receiving only the FOK intervention on the measured risk-taking behaviors. Specifically, compared with participants in the FOK only group, those in the FOK plus ImPACT without boosters smoked fewer cigarettes and were less likely to be pregnant or have gotten a girl pregnant. Participants in the FOK plus ImPACT with boosters group were less likely to have used a bat or stick as a weapon, smoked cigarettes, or used marijuana and were more likely to have talked to adults about HIV/AIDS and to have asked partners about past condom use compared to those in the FOK only intervention. Compared with those in the FOK only group, participants in either of the ImPACT groups were less likely to have used a bat or stick as a weapon, smoked cigarettes, and used other illicit drugs, were more likely to have asked partners about past condom, and were suspended for fewer days. There were also differences between the two ImPact groups: those receiving booster sessions were significantly more likely to have talked to adults about HIV/AIDS and were less likely to have gotten pregnant or gotten a girl pregnant than those who did not receive the booster sessions.
Stanton, B., Cole, M., Galbraith, J., Li, X., Pendleton, S., Cottrel, L., Marshall, S., Wu, Y., & Kaljee, L. (2004). Randomized trial of a parent intervention: Parents can make a difference in long-term adolescent risk behaviors, perceptions, and knowledge. Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 158, 947-955.
Stanton, B. F., Li, X., Galbrath, J., Cornick, G., Feigelman, S. Kaljee, L., & Zhou, Y. (2000). Journal of Adolescent Health, 26, 18-26.
Program categorized in this guide according to the following:
Evaluated participant ages: 12-16 years
Evaluated participant grades: N/A
Program age ranges in the guide: Adolescents, Youth
Program components: Home Visiting; Parent or Family Component
Measured outcomes: Behavioral Problems, Teen Pregnancy and Reproductive Health
Keywords: Adolescent, Youth, Co-Ed, High-Risk, Home-Based, Parent Training, Skills Training, Urban, Teen Pregnancy, Sexual Activity, Condom Use and Contraception, STD/HIV/AIDS, Aggression/Violence/Bullying, Delinquency, Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana/Illicit/Prescription Drugs
Program information last updated 6/24/2009.