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J Primary Prevent (2012) 33:8597 DOI 10.1007/s10935-012-0268-x
ORIGINAL PAPER
The Knowledge of Effective Parenting Scale (KEPS): A Tool for Public Health Approaches to Universal Parenting Programs
Leanne Winter Alina Morawska
Matthew Sanders
Published online: 24 April 2012 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2012
Abstract Improving the knowledge, skills, and condence of parents is often the aim of parenting-focused public health strategies and parenting programs, yet research on parental knowledge is limited compared with research on other parenting variables. In this study, a nonclinical sample of 62 parents of children aged 23 years was assessed for knowledge of child development processes and milestones [using the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI)] and knowledge of effective parenting strategies [using the Knowledge of Effective Parenting Scale (KEPS)], along with self-reported measures of parenting dysfunction and nurturance, parental condence, parental affective state, and problematic child behavior. Additionally, in-home observations of parentchild interactions were conducted with dependent measures of aversive and non-aversive parent behavior, a composite measure of parenting competence, and aversive child behavior. Results showed that KEPS scores were signicantly negatively related to self-reported parenting dysfunction, internalized problematic child behavior, and parental anxiety, and positively related to observed parenting competence. Knowledge as assessed by the KIDI was signicantly positively associated only with KEPS scores. These
results suggest that increasing parental knowledge of effective parenting strategies at a population level is likely to be more benecial to parents than increasing their knowledge of child development processes and milestones.
Keywords Parental knowledge Parenting
competence Child behavior
Introduction
There is little doubt that parenting practices have a large impact on child development (Collins, Maccoby, Steinberg, Hetherington, & Bornstein, 2000). Although evidence-based parenting interventions can be effective in reducing behavioral and emotional problems in children, relatively few parents access traditional clinic-based services (Sanders, 2010). By comparison, a public health approach to parenting support involves targeting entire populations of families and children in order to reduce the prevalence rates of inadequate parenting, child mal-treatment, and behavioral and emotional problems in children (Sanders, 2008). Recently, the international recognition of the need for wider implementation of evidence-based parenting programs has increased substantially. Examples of international policy initiatives promoting improvements to parenting knowledge, skills, and condence as public health strategies
L. Winter (&) A. Morawska M. Sanders
School...