The association between parental attributions of misbehavior and parenting practices in caregivers raising children with prenatal alcohol exposure: A mixed-methods study.
OBJECTIVE
Limited research has focused on parenting practices used by caregivers raising children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The current study hypothesized that parental attributions of children's misbehavior would relate to the parenting strategies caregivers utilize with children with FASD. This study also aimed to develop a coding scheme to allow quantification of these treatment-relevant constructs in future intervention trials.


METHODS
Thirty-one caregivers of children with FASD (age 4-8) were interviewed with the Parenting Practices Interview (PPI), a study-developed qualitative interview. Quantitative measures of FASD knowledge, parenting sense of competence and stress, and child behavior problems were included. Mixed-method analyses assessed the relationship between parental attributions of misbehavior and parenting practices.


RESULTS
Caregivers who attributed their child's misbehavior to underlying neurodevelopmental disabilities were more likely to use antecedent strategies and feel more confident in managing their child's behavior. Parents who attributed their child's misbehavior to willful disobedience were more likely to rely on consequence strategies and feel more ineffective.


CONCLUSIONS
Results are consistent with theoretical models for FASD parent training interventions. Assessment of theorized mechanisms of change in intervention trials is needed; the development of the PPI and quantitative coding system will facilitate this type of research.
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, 187 Edinburgh St, Rochester, NY 14608, United States. Electronic address: Christie.petrenko@rochester.edu.
Christie L M
CLM
Petrenko
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, 187 Edinburgh St, Rochester, NY 14608, United States.
Mary E
ME
Pandolfino
Mt. Hope Family Center, University of Rochester, 187 Edinburgh St, Rochester, NY 14608, United States.
Rachael
R
Roddenbery
D000300:Adoption; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D000431:Ethanol; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders; D005581:Foster Home Care; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D000066553:Problem Behavior; D036301:Qualitative Research; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
Assessment; Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder; Fetal alcohol syndrome; Parent attributions; Parenting; Prenatal alcohol exposure
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