Cross-cultural adaptability of parenting interventions designed for childhood behavior problems: A meta-analysis

Abstract

The dissemination of parenting interventions is one of the advised approaches to globally counteract childhood behavior problems, delinquency, and future criminal careers. Many of these interventions are developed in Anglosphere countries and transported to other contexts with distinct cultural backgrounds. However, there are no meta-analyses evaluating the overall effectiveness of these Anglosphere parenting programs in non-Anglosphere settings. This meta-analysis aimed to examine the effectiveness of parenting interventions developed in Anglosphere countries when transported to non-Anglosphere countries, as well as compare effectiveness levels between Anglosphere and non-Anglosphere trials; and analyze the impact of research and contextual factors in the dissemination of these interventions. Parenting interventions were included if they were: created in an Anglosphere setting; tested in non-Anglosphere countries; focused on reducing childhood behavioral problems; designed for children ranging from two to 12 years old; and tested in an experimental randomized trial. A random-effects model was selected for our meta-analysis. Standardized mean differences, confidence intervals and prediction intervals were also computed. Twenty studies were included, and results suggest that parenting interventions designed for childhood behavior problems can be transported to non-Anglosphere countries and potentially maintain effectiveness. This study is a relevant contribution to the evidence of cross-cultural transportability of parenting interventions.