title: Positive parenting attitudes and practices in three transitional Eastern European countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify potential predictors of using only non-violent forms of discipline for children aged 2-14 years and of being against physical punishment among Roma and non-Roma parents/caregivers in Eastern European countries with similar cultural-historical backgrounds.
  
  
  METHODS
  UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data collected in 2010-2011 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia and Serbia (total of 9973 respondents) were analysed using multivariate logistic regression modelling with receiver operating characteristic analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Approximately 27 % of the respondents practiced only non-violent child discipline. Roma children experienced only non-violent discipline less than half as often as their non-Roma counterparts. Household wealth index and child sex were significant predictors of positive parenting attitudes and practice. For Roma respondents, rural residence also contributed to being against physical punishment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents\caregivers from more affluent households are more likely than those who are less affluent to be against physical punishment of children and are more likely to practice only non-violent discipline. Evidence-based interventions are required to support existing positive forms of child rearing. These should target less affluent households from Roma settlements in the studied countries.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 15, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia. petrovicma@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Marija
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistics and Mathematics, Faculty of Economics, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vasic
authors.affiliation: UNICEF, Kigali, Rwanda.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Petrovic
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotica 15, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.
authors.forename: Milena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santric-Milicevic
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D055771:Serbia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Child disciplining, violence; Roma settlements, Eastern Europe; Sociodemographic characteristics