Integrating Evidence-based Approaches to Prevent Child Maltreatment in Kyrgyzstan
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age6-74
SponsorThe University of Texas at Arlington
About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a family-based prevention program works to prevent child maltreatment risk and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among families in Kyrgyzstan. It will also learn about the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of the program. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Does the integrated family and economic empowerment program improve children's self-regulation, behavioral adjustment, and school adaptation? (2) Is the program feasible and acceptable for families and schools in Kyrgyzstan?
Researchers will compare the integrated prevention program to bolstered standard school services to see if the program improves child and family outcomes. Participants will: (a) Be randomly assigned to either the prevention program or bolstered standard school services; (b) Attend weekly group sessions for 16 weeks (if assigned to the prevention program); (c) Complete surveys at baseline, immediately after the 16-week program, and at the end of the school year; and (d) Provide information about child behavior, (co)parenting, family relationships, and financial well-being.
Results from this pilot study will inform a future larger trial.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Two adult caregivers (≥18 years old) who identify as co-parents or primary caregivers of a target child
Target child aged 6-9 years enrolled in one of the participating schools in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Both caregivers identify each other as family members responsible for the care of the child (e.g., parents, grandparents, or other adult caregivers)
Both caregivers report feeling safe participating together in a family-based program
Disqualifiers
Report of severe physical or sexual intimate partner violence between caregivers within the past 12 months, as assessed during screening
Either caregiver is unable to provide informed consent
Either caregiver has a cognitive impairment or a severe mental health condition that would preclude participation in group sessions
Family plans to relocate outside the study area during the intervention period
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Integrated Family and Economic Empowerment Program
BehavioralThis intervention uniquely integrates three evidence-based approaches (strengthening families, coparenting and father involvement, and economic empowerment) into a single coordinated prevention model. Unlike stand-alone parenting or couples programs, it simultaneously targets family processes (communication, co-parenting, stress regulation), child self-regulation and school adaptation, and structural economic stressors through asset-building and financial literacy components. The program is culturally adapted for Kyrgyzstani families using stakeholder-guided methods and delivered within school settings by trained social pedagogues. The integration of behavioral family intervention with economic strengthening distinguishes it from traditional parenting-only or school-only prevention programs.
Treatment groups
396 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: ExperimentalExperimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: Bolstered Standard of CareNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Parent Report
Child behavioral and emotional adjustment will be assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Parent Report, a 25-item caregiver-report measure assessing emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. Each item is scored on a 3-point scale (0-2). The Total Difficulties Score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater behavioral and emotional difficulties (poorer adjustment). The Prosocial Behavior subscale ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater prosocial behavior.
Time frame
Up to 1.5 years after baseline2
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Self-Report (Youth version)
Child self-regulation will be assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Self-Report (Youth Version), a 25-item self-report measure completed by children and adolescents that assesses emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. Each item is rated on a 3-point scale (0 = Not True, 1 = Somewhat True, 2 = Certainly True). The Total Difficulties Score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater emotional and behavioral dysregulation (poorer self-regulation). The Prosocial Behavior subscale ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater prosocial behavior and social competence.
Time frame
Baseline through 1.5 years after baseline3
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Teacher Report
Child school adaptation will be assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) Teacher Report, a 25-item teacher-completed measure assessing emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, peer relationship problems, and prosocial behavior. Items are rated on a 3-point scale (0 = Not True, 1 = Somewhat True, 2 = Certainly True). The Total Difficulties Score ranges from 0 to 40, with higher scores indicating greater emotional and behavioral difficulties (poorer functioning). The Prosocial Behavior subscale ranges from 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating greater prosocial behavior.
Time frame
Up to 1.5 years after baselineSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
The University of Texas at Arlington
Lead sponsor
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov