Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Effectiveness of Facebook Groups to Boost Participation in a Parenting Intervention

  • Published:
Prevention Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Although family-based prevention programs have been shown to be effective at reducing adolescent substance use, it is often difficult and costly to recruit and retain parents in programs administered in person. The current study tested whether program engagement and parenting practices could be improved by offering parents in a self-directed family program access to a private Facebook group. Parents of middle school children (N = 103) were recruited through paid Facebook ads to a 5-week self-directed teen substance use prevention program to be completed at home together by parents and their children. Two thirds of parents (N = 72) were randomly assigned to a moderated private Facebook group that provided a forum for parents in the study to interact with each other, and one third (N = 31) were randomized to use the intervention materials without additional support. Relatively few parents participated in the Facebook group and most did not find the experience useful. However, satisfaction with the program assessed 3 months after program completion was high among all parents and most parents engaged with the materials, irrespective of Facebook group assignment. Overall, parents reported significantly lower conflict and more household rules 6 months post-intervention compared to baseline. Parenting practices did not change more among those assigned to the Facebook group than among parents who used the materials on their own. The current findings suggest that providing opportunities for parents to interact online while participating in a self-directed family intervention may not help to increase engagement or improvements in parenting practices, particularly when few parents engage with each other.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arthur, M. W., Hawkins, J. D., Pollard, J. A., Catalano, R. F., & Baglioni, A. J., Jr. (2002). Measuring risk and protective factors for substance use, delinquency, and other adolescent problem behaviors: The Communities That Care Youth Survey. Evaluation Review, 26, 575–601.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Axford, N., Lehtonen, M., Kaoukji, D., Tobin, K., & Berry, V. (2012). Engaging parents in parenting programs: Lessons from research and practice. Children and Youth Services Review, 34, 2061–2071.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baggett, K. M., Davis, B., Feil, E. G., Sheeber, L. B., Landry, S. H., Carta, J. J., & Leve, C. (2010). Technologies for expanding the reach of evidence-based interventions: Preliminary results for promoting social-emotional development in early childhood. Topics in Early Childhood Special Education, 29, 226–238.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Baker, C. N., Arnold, D. H., & Meagher, S. (2011). Enrollment and attendance in a parent training prevention program for conduct problems. Prevention Science, 12, 126–138.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bauman, K. E., Foshee, V. A., Ennett, S. T., Pemberton, M., Hicks, K. A., King, T. S., & Koch, G. G. (2001). The influence of a family program on adolescent tobacco and alcohol use. American Journal of Public Health, 91, 604–610.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Beyers, J. M., Toumbourou, J. W., Catalano, R. F., Arthur, M. W., & Hawkins, J. D. (2004). A cross-national comparison of risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use: The United States and Australia. Journal of Adolescent Health, 35, 3–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Catalano, R. F., Mazza, J. J., Harachi, T. W., Abbott, R. D., Haggerty, K. P., & Fleming, C. B. (2003). Raising healthy children through enhancing social development in elementary school: Results after 1.5 years. Journal of School Psychology, 41, 143–164.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cavallo, D. N., Tate, D. F., Ries, A. V., Brown, J. D., DeVellis, R. F., & Ammerman, A. S. (2012). A social media–based physical activity intervention: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43, 527–532.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cavallo, D. N., Tate, D. F., Ward, D. S., DeVellis, R. F., Thayer, L. M., & Ammerman, A. S. (2014). Social support for physical activity—role of Facebook with and without structured intervention. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 4, 346–354.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung, Y. T. D., Chan, C. H. H., Lai, C.-K. J., Chan, W. F. V., Wang, M. P., Li, H. C. W., et al. (2015). Using WhatsApp and Facebook online social groups for smoking relapse prevention for recent quitters: A pilot pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 17, e238.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, J. (1969). Statistical power analysis for the behavioural sciences. New York, NY: Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dahl, A. A., Hales, S. B., & Turner-McGrievy, G. M. (2016). Integrating social media into weight loss interventions. Current Opinion in Psychology, 9, 11–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Doty, J., & Dworkin, J. (2014). Parents’ of adolescents use of social networking sites. Computers in Human Behavior, 33, 349–355.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duggan, M., Lenhart, A., Lampe, C., & Ellison, N. B. (2015). Parents and social media. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/07/16/parents-and-social-media/.

  • Duncan, M., Vandelanotte, C., Kolt, G. S., Rosenkranz, R. R., Caperchione, C. M., George, E. S., et al. (2014). Effectiveness of a web-and mobile phone-based intervention to promote physical activity and healthy eating in middle-aged males: Randomized controlled trial of the ManUp study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e136.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Dusenbury, L., Brannigan, R., Hansen, W. B., Walsh, J., & Falco, M. (2005). Quality of implementation: Developing measures crucial to understanding the diffusion of preventive interventions. Health Education Research, 20, 308–313.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Epstein, M., Hill, K. G., Bailey, J. A., & Hawkins, J. D. (2013). The effect of general and drug-specific family environments on comorbid and drug-specific problem behavior: A longitudinal examination. Developmental Psychology, 49, 1151–1164.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fagan, A. A., Hanson, K., Hawkins, J. D., & Arthur, M. W. (2009). Translational research in action: Implementation of the Communities That Care prevention system in 12 communities. Journal of Community Psychology, 37, 809–829.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fleming, C. B., Kim, H., Harachi, T. W., & Catalano, R. F. (2002). Family processes for children in early elementary school as predictors of smoking initiation. Journal of Adolescent Health, 30, 184–189.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenwood, S., Perrin, A., & Duggan, M. (2016). Social media update 2016. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gross, D., Julion, W., & Fogg, L. (2001). What motivates participation and dropout among low-income urban families of color in a prevention intervention. Family Relations, 50, 246–254.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo, J., Hawkins, J. D., Hill, K. G., & Abbott, R. D. (2001). Childhood and adolescent predictors of alcohol abuse and dependence in young adulthood. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 62, 754–762.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, K. P., Fleming, C. B., Lonczak, H. S., Oxford, M. L., Harachi, T. W., & Catalano, R. F. (2002). Predictors of participation in parenting workshops. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 22, 375–387.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, K. P., MacKenzie, E. P., Skinner, M. L., Harachi, T. W., & Catalano, R. F. (2006). Participation in “Parents Who Care”: Predicting program initiation and exposure in two different program formats. The Journal of Primary Prevention, 27, 47–65.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, K. P., Skinner, M. L., MacKenzie, E. P., & Catalano, R. F. (2007). A randomized trial of Parents Who Care: Effects on key outcomes at 24-month follow-up. Prevention Science, 8, 249–260.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, K. P., McGlynn-Wright, A., & Klima, T. (2013). Promising parenting programs for reducing adolescent problem behaviors. Journal of Children's Services, 8, 229–243.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Haggerty, K. P., Skinner, M. L., Catalano, R. F., Abbott, R. D., & Crutchfield, R. D. (2015). Long-term effects of staying connected with your teen on drug use frequency at age 20. Prevention Science, 16, 538–549.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hales, S. B., Davidson, C., & Turner-McGrievy, G. M. (2014). Varying social media post types differentially impacts engagement in a behavioral weight loss intervention. Translational Behavioral Medicine, 4, 355–362.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Harachi, T. W., Catalano, R. F., & Hawkins, J. D. (1997). Effective recruitment for parenting programs within ethnic minority communities. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 14, 23–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., & Miller, J. Y. (1992). Risk and protective factors for alcohol and other drug problems in adolescence and early adulthood: Implications for substance-abuse prevention. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 64–105.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., Kosterman, R., Abbott, R., & Hill, K. G. (1999). Preventing adolescent health-risk behaviors by strengthening protection during childhood. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 153, 226–234.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hemphill, S. A., Heerde, J. A., Herrenkohl, T. I., Patton, G. C., Toumbourou, J. W., & Catalano, R. F. (2011). Risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use in the United States and Australia: A longitudinal study. Journal of Adolescent Health, 49, 312–320.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kernot, J., Olds, T., Lewis, L. K., & Maher, C. A. (2014). Usability testing and piloting of the Mums Step It Up Program--a team-based social networking physical activity intervention for women with young children. PLoS One, 9, e108842.

  • Laranjo, L., Arguel, A., Neves, A. L., Gallagher, A. M., Kaplan, R., Mortimer, N., et al. (2014). The influence of social networking sites on health behavior change: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 22, 243–256.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Love, S. M., Sanders, M. R., Turner, K. M., Maurange, M., Knott, T., Prinz, R., et al. (2016). Social media and gamification: Engaging vulnerable parents in an online evidence-based parenting program. Child Abuse & Neglect, 53, 95–107.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maher, C. A., Lewis, L. K., Ferrar, K., Marshall, S., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., & Vandelanotte, C. (2014). Are health behavior change interventions that use online social networks effective? A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e40.

  • Markie-Dadds, C., & Sanders, M. R. (2006). Self-directed Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) for mothers with children at-risk of developing conduct problems. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 34, 259–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mason, W. A., Kosterman, R., Hawkins, J. D., Haggerty, K. P., & Spoth, R. L. (2003). Reducing adolescents’ growth in substance use and delinquency: Randomized trial effects of a preventive parent-training intervention. Prevention Science, 4, 203–312.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Merchant, G., Weibel, N., Patrick, K., Fowler, J. H., Norman, G. J., Gupta, A., et al. (2014). Click “like” to change your behavior: A mixed methods study of college students’ exposure to and engagement with Facebook content designed for weight loss. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 16, e158.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Metzler, C. W., Sanders, M. R., Rusby, J. C., & Crowley, R. N. (2012). Using consumer preference information to increase the reach and impact of media-based parenting interventions in a public health approach to parenting support. Behavior Therapy, 43, 257–270.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Napolitano, M. A., Hayes, S., Bennett, G. G., Ives, A. K., & Foster, G. D. (2013). Using Facebook and text messaging to deliver a weight loss program to college students. Obesity, 21, 25–31.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • O'Donnell, J., Hawkins, J. D., Catalano, R. F., Abbott, R. D., & Day, L. E. (1995). Preventing school failure, drug use, and delinquency among low-income children: Long-term intervention in elementary schools. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 65, 87–100.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oesterle, S., Epstein, M., Haggerty, K. P., & Moreno, M. A. (2018). Using Facebook to recruit parents to participate in a family program to prevent teen drug use. Prevention Science, 19, 559–569.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Oxford, M. L., Harachi, T. W., Catalano, R. F., & Abbott, R. D. (2001). Preadolescent predictors of substance initiation: A test of both the direct and mediated effect of family social control factors on deviant peer associations and substance initiation. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 27, 599–616.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pagoto, S., Waring, M. E., May, C. N., Ding, E. Y., Kunz, W. H., Hayes, R., & Oleski, J. L. (2016). Adapting behavioral interventions for social media delivery. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 18, e24.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Richardson, J. T. E. (2011). Eta squared and partial eta squared as measures of effect size in educational research. Educational Research Review, 6, 135–147.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Selby, P., van Mierlo, T., Voci, S. C., Parent, D., & Cunningham, J. A. (2010). Online social and professional support for smokers trying to quit: An exploration of first time posts from 2562 members. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 12, e34.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A., & Anderson, M. (2018). Social media use in 2018. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Shin, C., & Azevedo, K. (2004). Brief family intervention effects on adolescent substance initiation: School-level growth curve analyses 6 years following baseline. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 72, 535–542.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stelzner, M. A. (2017). 2017 social media marketing industry report: How marketers are using social media to grow their businesses. Social Media Examiner. Retrieved from: https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-marketing-industry-report-2017/.

  • Stormshak, E. A., & Dishion, T. J. (2009). A school-based, family-centered intervention to prevent substance use: The Family Check-Up. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 35, 227–232.

  • Tate, D. F., Lyons, E. J., & Valle, C. G. (2015). High-tech tools for exercise motivation: Use and role of technologies such as the internet, mobile applications, social media, and video games. Diabetes Spectrum: A Publication of the American Diabetes Association, 28, 45–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trusty, J., Thompson, B., & Petrocelli, J. V. (2004). Practical guide for reporting effect size in quantitative research in the Journal of Counseling & Development. Journal of Counseling & Development, 82, 107–110.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vandelanotte, C., & Maher, C. A. (2015). Why we need more than just randomized controlled trials to establish the effectiveness of online social networks for health behavior change. American Journal of Health Promotion, 30, 74–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Whittaker, K. A., & Cowley, S. (2012). An effective programme is not enough: A review of factors associated with poor attendance and engagement with parenting support programmes. Children & Society, 26, 138–149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang, Q. (2017). Are social networking sites making health behavior change interventions more effective? A meta-analytic review. Journal of Health Communication, 22, 223–233.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zickuhr, K., & Smith, A. (2012). Digital differences. Pew Internet and American Life Project. Washington, DC: Pew Research Center Retrieved from: http://pewInternet.org/Reports/2012/Digital-differences.aspx.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding Support

This research was financially supported by a grant (R21DA039466) from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

Funding

The funding organization had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, analysis, or preparation of data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript. The content of this paper is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of NIDA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Social Development Research Group, School of Social Work, University of Washington, 9725 3rd Ave NE, Suite 401, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA

    Marina Epstein, Sabrina Oesterle & Kevin P. Haggerty

Authors
  1. Marina Epstein
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sabrina Oesterle
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kevin P. Haggerty
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marina Epstein.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. All activities associated with this study were approved by the University of Washington Institutional Review Board.

Informed Consent

Informed consent was obtained for all participants in the study.

Human and Animal Studies

No work with animals was performed in this study.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Epstein, M., Oesterle, S. & Haggerty, K.P. Effectiveness of Facebook Groups to Boost Participation in a Parenting Intervention. Prev Sci 20, 894–903 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-019-01018-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11121-019-01018-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation