Predictors of Child and Caregiver Attendance in a Strengths-Focused, Culturally Grounded, Family-Based Program to Prevent Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Abstract

Little is known about factors that predict attendance in strengths-focused, culturally grounded, family-based programming to prevent adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among Indigenous populations in the USA. An understanding of these factors may help to create initiatives to reduce barriers to attending programming that could reduce ACEs and other health inequities among structurally minoritized populations. The purpose of the current study was to explore this critical gap in the literature. Participants were 66 caregivers and their 107 children 10 to 14 (N = 66 families) randomly assigned to the treatment group. Baseline measures were used to predict program attendance (total number of sessions and any attendance). Results for caregivers showed that higher intimate partner violence victimization and perpetration and depression predicted program attendance (number of sessions and any attendance). For children, girls were more likely to attend at least one session than boys. Predictors of the total number of sessions for children included being a girl, lower depression, higher awareness (emotion regulation), higher parent-child communication, higher harsh parenting, higher caregiver positive reinforcement, and higher family cohesion. These findings have important implications for reducing potential barriers to program attendance as well as motivational interviewing approaches for specific subpopulations that may enhance attendance in a strengths-focused, culturally grounded, family-based programming to reduce ACEs.