Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28592244›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2017

Optimising child outcomes from parenting interventions: fathers' experiences, preferences and barriers to participation.

Lucy A Tully, Patrycja J Piotrowska, Daniel A J Collins, Kathleen S Mairet, Nicola Black, Eva R Kimonis, David J Hawes, Caroline Moul, Rhoshel K Lenroot, Paul J Frick and 2 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05003518 (ParentText User Engagement and Effectiveness Study), which is not on this map. Cited by 56 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed, 5 pooled it
10.9field-weighted citation impact, top 2% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT05003518 naterminatednot on this mapstarted 2022, after this paper: background citation

ParentText User Engagement and Effectiveness Study

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of OxfordRan2022 to 2022Enrolled1,400ConditionsEngagement, Positive Parenting, Child Maltreatment, Intimate Partner ViolenceArmsParentText
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 126 citations in OpenAlex.

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  12. Exploring Canadian Registered Dietitians' Confidence, Facilitators, Barriers, and Resource Needs in Father Engagement.Journal of human nutrition and dietetics : the official journal of the British Dietetic Association · 2026
    Article
  13. Understanding fathers' help-seeking: A scoping review.Journal of family medicine and primary care · 2026
    Review
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  15. What Do Dads Want in a Parenting Program? Improving Father Engagement in Parenting Education and Support.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Lucy A TullySchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia. lucy.tully@sydney.edu.au.
Patrycja J PiotrowskaSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Daniel A J CollinsSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Kathleen S MairetSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Nicola BlackSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Eva R KimonisSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
David J HawesSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Caroline MoulSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
Rhoshel K LenrootSchool of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Paul J FrickLearning Sciences Institute of Australia, Australian Catholic University, Brisbane, Australia, & Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, USA.
Vicki AndersonRoyal Children's Hospital, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Departments of Psychology & Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Mark R DaddsSchool of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
University of Sydney · AUUNSW Sydney · AUAustralian Catholic University · AURoyal Children's Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEarly childhood interventions can have both immediate and long-term positive effects on cognitive, behavioural, health and education outcomes. Fathers are underrepresented in interventions focusing on the well-being of children. However, father participation may be critical for intervention effectiveness, especially for parenting interventions for child externalising problems. To date, there has been very little research conducted to understand the low rates of father participation and to facilitate the development of interventions to meet the needs of fathers. This study examined fathers' experiences of, and preferences for, parenting interventions as well as perceptions of barriers to participation. It also examined how these factors were associated with child externalising behaviour problems, and explored the predictors of participation in parenting interventions.

methodsA community sample of 1001 fathers of children aged 2-16 years completed an online survey about experiences with parenting interventions, perceived barriers to participation, the importance of different factors in their decision to attend, and preferred content and delivery methods. They also completed ratings of their child's behaviour using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

resultsOverall, 15% of fathers had participated in a parenting intervention or treatment for child behaviour, with significantly higher rates of participation for fathers of children with high versus low levels of externalising problems. Fathers rated understanding what is involved in the program and knowing that the facilitator is trained as the two most important factors in their decision to participate. There were several barriers to participation that fathers of children with high-level externalising problems were more likely to endorse, across practical barriers and help-seeking attitudes, compared to fathers of children with low-level externalising problems. Almost two-thirds of fathers of children with high-level externalising behaviour had not participated in a parenting intervention or treatment. The only significant predictors of intervention participation were severity of child externalising behaviour problems and child age.

conclusionsThe findings have important implications for services seeking to increase father engagement and highlight a number of strategies to enhance the promotion and delivery of parenting interventions to fathers. These strategies include more public health messaging about parenting programs and the importance of father participation.

Indexed as

Father-Child RelationsAdolescentAdultAustraliaChildChild BehaviorChild Behavior DisordersChild, PreschoolFamily TherapyFathersFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedParentingSurveys and QuestionnairesExternalising disordersIntervention researchParent–child relationshipsParenting

Identifiers

PMID28592244
PMCPMC5463495
OpenAlexW2624323904

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.