Purpose: The purpose of this research is to determine the effects of Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), an evidence-based parenting program, on stress biomarkers in children. Participants: The study will involve approximately 150 caregiver-child dyads, with children aged between 24 and 42 months. Participants will include primary caregivers fluent in English or Spanish, along with their children who have experienced social risk factors for adversity. Procedures (Methods): Participants will be randomly assigned to either receive the ABC parenting program (10 sessions) immediately or be placed on a wait-list, receiving the program after about 4 months. The study procedures include caregivers completing online surveys, engaging in play-based observational tasks with their children, and collecting non-invasive biological samples (saliva, cheek swab, hair) from the children and saliva samples from the caregivers at 2-3 time-points.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
TRIPLE
Enrollment
150
10-session home visiting intervention designed to increase parental sensitivity and nurturance and decrease parental frightening behavior.
A 4-month waitlist period, after which they will also receive the home-based ABC program (same as Intervention group).
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, South Carolina, United States
RECRUITINGChild inflammation
Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child inflammation
Pediatric saliva samples will be assayed for cytokine concentrations.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child epigenetic age acceleration
Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child epigenetic age acceleration
Pediatric buccal swabs will be assayed for DNAm, which will be used to calculate child epigenetic age
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child telomere length
DNA will be extracted from child buccal swabs to calculated T/S ratios.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child telomere length
DNA will be extracted from child buccal swabs to calculated T/S ratios.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child hair cortisol
Several strands of hair will be collected and assayed to obtain hair cortisol concentration
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child hair cortisol
Several strands of hair will be collected and assayed to obtain hair cortisol concentration
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child stress hormones
Child hair and saliva samples for cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, and endocannabinoid levels to examine both cumulative and dynamic stress hormone responses.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child stress hormones
Child hair and saliva samples for cortisol, cortisone, DHEA, progesterone, and endocannabinoid levels to examine both cumulative and dynamic stress hormone responses.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Parenting
Behavioral coding of parenting will be conducted using video recordings of tasks from the Early Regulation in Context Assessment.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Parenting
Behavioral coding of parenting will be conducted using video recordings of tasks from the Early Regulation in Context Assessment.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child wellbeing
Caregiver reports of their child's quality of life will be obtained using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child wellbeing
Caregiver reports of their child's quality of life will be obtained using the Pediatric Quality of Life (PedsQL) Inventory. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating better functioning.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child executive functioning
Child executive functioning will be assessed using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale™ The MEFS has been nationally normed based on the child's age and standardized scores are automatically generated using an algorithm that combines accuracy and response time (M = 100, SD = 15). Scores range from 60-140, with higher scores indicating better performance.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child executive functioning
Child executive functioning will be assessed using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale™ The MEFS has been nationally normed based on the child's age and standardized scores are automatically generated using an algorithm that combines accuracy and response time (M = 100, SD = 15). Scores range from 60-140, with higher scores indicating better performance.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Child mental health
Child mental health will be assessed using caregiver reports through the Child Behavior Checklist preschool-aged form (1.5-5). We will use the total, internalizing, and externalizing subscales, with scores ranging from 0-200, 0-72, and 0-48, respectively. Higher scores represent worse functioning.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Child mental health
Child mental health will be assessed using caregiver reports through the Child Behavior Checklist preschool-aged form (1.5-5). We will use the total, internalizing, and externalizing subscales, with scores ranging from 0-200, 0-72, and 0-48, respectively. Higher scores represent worse functioning.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Caregiver anxiety
Caregiver anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The total score ranges from 0-21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Caregiver anxiety
Caregiver anxiety symptoms will be assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The total score ranges from 0-21, with higher scores indicating more severe anxiety.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
Caregiver depression
Caregiver depression symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item form. Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores representing worse functioning.
Time frame: Pre-intervention baseline
Caregiver depression
Caregiver depression symptoms will be assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item form. Scores range from 0 to 27, with higher scores representing worse functioning.
Time frame: 13-20 weeks after baseline
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