Clinical Research Directory

Newenkantun: a Play-based Program to Promote Socioemotional Learning in Early Childhood Education in Chile.

What is this study about? This study will test a program called "Newenkantun" (which refers to a hand-strength game in Mapuche culture) designed to help young children develop important social and emotional skills through play and physical activity. The program focuses on helping children learn how to understand and manage their emotions, get along with others, and make good decisions - skills that are important for success in school and life. Why is this study being done? The early years of childhood are a critical time for developing social, emotional, and physical skills. Many children, especially those from low-income families, face challenges that make it harder to develop these skills. This study will test whether a program that combines active play, social-emotional learning, and family involvement can help young children in the Araucanía region of Chile develop these important abilities. The program also aims to help children be more physically active, spend less time on screens, and get better sleep - all of which are important for healthy development. Who can participate? Children ages 4-6 years old (attending transition levels 1 and 2 in early childhood education) in the cities of Temuco and Padre Las Casas in the Araucanía region of Chile. Both their teachers and parents/guardians will also participate in the program. What will participants do? Children will participate in play-based activities at their schools over 16 weeks. These activities use storytelling and imaginative play (like pretending to be different characters) to help them practice social and emotional skills. The activities respect and incorporate the cultural background of the Araucanía region, including Mapuche cultural elements. Teachers will receive training and support (both in-person and online) to learn how to teach social-emotional skills and promote healthy movement behaviors in their classrooms. They will receive materials and kits to help them run play activities. Parents and guardians will receive support through an online platform, app, social media, and printed materials. They will learn about the importance of social-emotional development and healthy movement habits, and get practical tips for supporting these at home. The program includes 8 topics delivered over 4 months, with each topic taking about 30 minutes to complete. What will be measured? Researchers will measure: Children's social and emotional skills (like managing emotions, getting along with others, and making responsible decisions) Physical activity levels, screen time, and sleep patterns Motor skills and thinking abilities Teachers' confidence and practices in teaching social-emotional skills Parents' support practices at home The school environment and how well it supports these skills These measurements will happen at the beginning of the program, at the end, and at follow-up visits 3, 6, and 12 months after the program ends. How is the study designed? The study uses a "stepped-wedge" design, which means that 10 schools will start the program at different times, chosen randomly. This design allows all schools to eventually receive the program while still allowing researchers to compare results. Each school will participate for 16 weeks, and researchers will follow what happens afterwards to see if the benefits last over time. What are the potential benefits? If successful, this program could provide a practical, culturally appropriate way to help young children develop important social, emotional, and physical skills during a critical time in their development. The program is designed to be sustainable and could potentially be used in other schools and communities in the future.

Little ACF (Lilla ABC): Evaluation of a Parental Support Program for Parents of Children Aged 1-2 Years

Society can promote children's mental health at an early stage by creating good conditions with, for example, general parental support programs that are offered to all parents. One program that has been developed is called All Children in Focus (ACF) \[in Swedish: Alla Barn i Centrum (ABC)\] which has been evaluated for parents with children aged 3-12 years. The results showed effects on parenting ability, parenting strategies and on children's well-being. Staff in child health care (CHC), a natural arena for parental support programs reaching almost all families, have requested modifications in the program ACF to involve parents with younger children. The parent groups offered within CHC today are not evaluated in younger children and could be thus replaced by researched parental support based on evidence. The investigators therefore want to study the effects of a modified version of ACF for parents of children 1-2 years (Little ACF) to see if Little ACF can strengthen parenting ability and have effects on children's social and emotional development. Parents within CHC are asked to participate and are randomly assigned to Little ACF or the regular CHC program plus a lecture. Little ACF is offered during four group meetings and potential effects are measured with questionnaires. Measurements are made before randomisation, during and after participation in Little ACF. Children's behavior is followed up at 3 years through questionnaires and CHC documentation. The study can provide important knowledge about how Little ACF can promote children's mental health and strengthen parents. The investigators see it as a strength that Little ACF is based on research and on dialogue with parents and professionals. Little ACF, which is aimed at everyone, can form a basis for identifying families and children who need preventive and treatment measures.

Theory-Based Parenting Intervention for Preschool Children's Health Behaviors

The goal of this study is to test whether a 4-week online program can help parents better support health behaviors of their preschool children (aged 3-6 years). Preschool children often rely on their parents to build health behaviors, such as being physically active, limiting screen time, drinking fewer sugar-sweetened beverages, and washing their hands regularly. The main questions this study aims to answer are: Does the program improve parents' motivation, planning, and habits related to supporting their children's health behaviors? Do parents who receive the program provide more support for their children? Do preschool children in the program show improvements in health behaviors? Can improvements explained by changes in parents' psychological factors? Researchers will compare parents who receive the program immediately to parents in a waitlist control group. Participants will: Complete online questionnaires before the program, after the program, and one month later (Intervention group only). Complete eight online sessions over four weeks using a mobile program.