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• Parental supervision and some negative youth behaviors and attitudes improved. • The magnitude of youth behavior improvements was small. • Improved behaviors did not translate into reduced youth delinquency. • The YSET survey showed improvements in both treatment and control. • The YSET survey was found to create survey fatigue and comprehension challenges. This study provides the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a family counseling intervention in the Caribbean, and one of the few RCTs on a violence and delinquency prevention program in the region. This trial studies the impact of the Family Matters program for youth aged 10–18 years old and at risk of engaging in delinquent behavior. As a result of the program, parental supervision improved and there was a reduction in some of the youths' negative behaviors and attitudes, but the magnitude of improvements was small: participants' average number of risk factors decreased by only one fifth of a standard deviation. Improved behaviors did not translate into reduced youth delinquency. The findings suggest that with some adjustments to improve program targeting and address pressing family challenges, the intervention may have a more meaningful impact on caregiving practices and youth behaviors and delinquency levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This is one of the first analyses of the differential impact of an evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program conducted among subgroups of Native youth. • Results guide dissemination and future research efforts for the 31 tribal communities currently implementing the RCL program. • Specific findings show that RCL is particularly effective among youth who are under the age of 15 at the time of participation, and that additional tailoring will optimize this program for older adolescents. This study reports the differential impact of an evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program among subgroups of participating Native American youth. This randomized controlled trial included N = 534 Native Americans ages 11–19. Participants were randomly assigned 1:1 (intervention: 266; control: 268) to the Respecting the Circle of Life intervention (RCL) versus a control condition. Logistic and linear regression was used to examine intervention impact at 9- and 12- months post-intervention among the subgroups of males, females, younger (11–14 years) and older (15–19 years) youth. Girls and boys in the intervention group (RCL) had improved condom self-efficacy (Adjusted mean difference (AMD) and 95% CI girls: 0.56 (0.34–0.79); boys: 0.55 (0.32–0.77); both p < 0.0001) and contraceptive use self-efficacy at 9 months (AMD (95% CI) girls: 0.40 (0.16–0.63); boys: 0.40 (0.17–0.63); girls p = 0.001, boys p = 0.0009) compared to those in the control group. Study group differences were sustained for girls at 12 months but not for boys (condom use self-efficacy AMD (95% CI) girls: 0.54 (0.34–0.75); contraceptive use self-efficacy girls: 0.47 (0.24–0.70); both p < 0.0001). Boys in the RCL group had higher 12-month sexual/reproductive health knowledge (AMD (95% CI) boys: 2.15 (0.45–3.85); p = 0.01) compared to those in the control group, but girls did not. Girls in the RCL group had increased intention to use a condom at 12 months (OR (95 %CI): 1.69 (1.00–2.86); p = 0.05) compared to those in the control group, whereas boys in the RCL group had decreased intention to have sex in the next year at 9 months (OR (95% CI): 0.39 (0.21–0.73); p = 0.003) compared to boys in the control group. RCL Participants ages 11–14 had improved sexual/reproductive health knowledge at 12 months (AMD (95% CI): 1.96 (0.79–3.13); p = 0.001) compared to control participants of the same age. They also had improved condom and contraceptive use self-efficacy at 9 months (condom use self-efficacy AMD (95% CI): 0.65 (0.46–0.83); contraceptive use self-efficacy: 0.47 (0.28–0.65); both p < 0.0001) and 12-months (AMD (95% CI): 0.43 (0.25–0.61); 0.35 (0.16–0.54); p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0004, respectively) compared to control participants of the same age. There were no statistically significant impacts among participants ages 15–19. This is one of the first analyses of the differential impact of an evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention program conducted among subgroups of Native youth. Results guide dissemination and future research efforts, including that RCL is particularly effective among youth who are under the age of 15 at the time of participation, and that additional tailoring will optimize this program for older adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Significant positive effects were found for GTP when compared with the CAU condition. • The GTP effects were maintained at 6- and 12-months follow-ups. • GTP can be an important tool for parenting intervention with low-income families. Parenting is a challenging endeavor, particularly for low-income families, who are often exposed to multiple stressors known to jeopardize children's development. Research indicates that evidence-based parenting interventions mitigate the adverse effects of growing up in low-income families. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the efficacy of Group Triple P – Positive Parenting Program in a sample of Portuguese low-income families assisted by social welfare services. A randomized control trial to evaluate the effects of the Group Triple P program was implemented in a community setting. Low-income families were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: Group Triple P intervention or Care-As-Usual intervention. Outcome measures included child behavior problems, parental practices, parental sense of competence, parental adjustment, parental stress levels, and family social support network. Data were collected at baseline (before the intervention), immediately after the intervention (3-months after baseline), 6-, and 12-months after the intervention. After the intervention, Group Triple P participants reported less children behavior problems, improvements in parenting practices, and in parental sense of competence, as well as an increase in family social support network. These effects remained stable six- and 12-months after the intervention. Group Triple P was found to be an effective intervention when delivered in a community setting to low-income families, demonstrating enduring positive effects in all outcomes. Trial registration : ISRCTN19620485 (Retrospectively registered in 11/08/2018). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ACT and DBS were well accepted by participants in a middle-income country (Brazil). • Attendance rates of the interventions were high (ACT = 64.2%; DBS = 76.6%). • Few variables predicted attendance rates in this study. Parent training programmes have significant potential to improve the quality of children's early environments and thereby their development and life-course outcomes. The aim of this study was to identify and explain the extent to which parents engaged in two group-based training programmes, offered to high-risk families enrolled in a randomized controlled trial study called PIÁ in Southern Brazil. The programmes were: (1) ACT: Raising Safe Kids, a 9-week programme aiming to reduce harsh parenting and maltreatment and improve positive parenting practices; (2) Dialogic book-sharing (DBS), an 8-week programme aiming to promote parental sensitivity and improve child cognitive development and social understanding. Of the 123 mothers randomly allocated to the ACT programme, 64.2% (n = 79) completed the course, and of 124 mothers allocated to DBS, 76.6% (n = 95) completed the course. After the interventions, mothers were very positive about the experience of both programmes but highlighted practical difficulties in attending. In adjusted regression analyses, only two variables significantly predicted ACT course completion (maternal age and distance between the intervention site and household); no significant predictor was found for DBS attendance. We conclude that although high completion rates are possible, there are important challenges to engaging parents of young children in training programmes, and practical difficulties occurring during training courses may be more important for attendance than baseline participant characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The intervention was not more effective than services as usual at improving outcomes. • This may relate, in part, to implementation issues; fidelity could be improved. • It may also reflect the relative lack of behavioral components in the program. The aim of the study was to evaluate the implementation and effectiveness of a therapeutic parenting program that targets parents of children aged 6 to 11 years identified as having behavioral and emotional difficulties. The intervention comprises two parts, delivered sequentially: a 10–12-week group-based program for all parents, and one-to-one sessions for up to 12 weeks with selected parents from the group-based element. In a randomized controlled trial, 264 participants were allocated to the Inspiring Futures program (intervention) or services as usual (control) arms with follow-up assessments at 16 (post-group program) and 32 (post-one-to-one sessions) weeks. The primary outcome was the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Total Difficulties score at 32 weeks. Secondary outcomes included parent-rated SDQ subscales, parent coping strategies, empathy in parenting and parenting skills. All 264 participants were included in outcome analyses. There was no statistically significant effect on SDQ Total Difficulties (standardized mean difference: −0.07; 95% CI: −0.30 to 0.16; p = 0.54). There were no sub-group effects. Only 1 of 40 comparisons between the trial arms for secondary outcomes across both follow-ups was statistically significant at the 5% level. The mean number of group sessions attended by intervention arm participants was 6.1 (out of 10 to 12) and only 1 in 20 intervention arm participants received one-to-one support. Independent observation indicated scope to improve fidelity in terms of adherence, quality and participant responsiveness. The intervention is not more effective than services as usual at improving targeted outcomes. This may be related, in part, to implementation issues but arguably more to the inability of a non-behavioral intervention to improve caregiving adequately, particularly when it is not targeted at new parents who have experienced trauma or deprivation early in life or subsequently. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]