A Preliminary Evaluation of the Cultural Appropriateness of the Tuning in to Kids Parenting Program in Germany, Turkey, Iran and China


Havighurst S. S., Choy R., Ülker A., Otterpohl N., Aghaie Meybodi F., Edrissi F., ...More

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH, vol.19, no.16, 2022 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 19 Issue: 16
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.3390/ijerph191610321
  • Journal Name: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, Geobase, MEDLINE, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Keywords: emotion socialization, emotion coaching, parenting, culture, intervention, adaptation, Tuning in to Kids, EMOTION SOCIALIZATION, ASSOCIATIONS, CHILDREN, MOTHER, FAMILY, ADAPTATION, AMERICAN, CONTEXT, ISSUES, WORLD
  • Hacettepe University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Background: Parenting interventions based on emotion socialization (ES) theory offer an important theoretically driven approach to improve children's emotional competence and behavioral functioning. Whether such approaches are effective in different cultural contexts, and whether the methods of delivery used are appropriate and acceptable, is an important empirical question. This paper reports on the preliminary evaluation of an ES parenting intervention, Tuning in to Kids (TIK), in Germany, Turkey, Iran, and China. Pilot studies of TIK have been conducted in each country with mothers of 4-6-year-old children. Method: The current study used qualitative methods with thematic analysis to explore the cultural appropriateness of the program in each site. Results: Culture-specific challenges were found across all sites in changing parents' beliefs about the value of encouraging children's emotional expression and supportive emotion discussions. Emotion literacy of parents depended on their access to emotion terms in their language, but also to parents' experiences with emotions in their family of origin and culture-related beliefs about emotions. Adaptations were required to slow the speed of delivery, to address issues of trust with parents in seeking help, and to provide more opportunities to practice the skills and integrate different beliefs about parenting. Conclusion: While this ES parenting intervention has been developed in a Western cultural context, slight adaptations to the delivery methods (rather than change to the content) appeared to contribute to cultural appropriateness. The next step will be to quantitatively evaluate these adaptations of TIK in the different countries using randomized controlled studies.