North Dakota's Nurturing Parenting Programs: An Exploratory Evaluation Using Multilevel Modeling

Abstract

Parent education is a common form of tertiary prevention of child maltreatment. The Nurturing Parenting Programs (NPP) include tertiary prevention programs, and general support exists for their effectiveness. However, the role of contextual factors has not been adequately examined and Native Americans have largely been excluded in the literature. The present study examines the role of individual and contextual factors in explaining attitudinal outcomes and explores outcomes for Native American participants.

Data in the present study come from three consecutive years of NPP in the state of North Dakota. A total of 508 participants attended programs across nine sites; 303 completed baseline and follow-up assessments. Programs comprised either 15 or 16 weekly sessions.

In several attitudinal constructs from the AAPI-2, Native American participants experienced a slight decrease, meaning their risk of engaging in maltreatment increased slightly. Educational attainment and experiences of childhood abuse were identified as predictors of attitudinal outcomes.