Date of Award

January 2015

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Department

School of Public Health

First Advisor

Trace Kershaw

Abstract

Partners in LIFE (PIL) is a 15-session relationship-based intervention delivered to young low-income minority parents (age 14-25). Fourty-nine parenting couples were recruited from urban pediatric clinics and randomized into PIL or a control group. PIL activities consisted of relationship strengthening (e.g., intimacy, empathy, communication, conflict resolution), parent education, and sexual health. The control group received only parent education. Participants were assessed at baselines and immediately after the intervention (4 months from baseline). Using within-groups analysis of variance (ANOVA) to account for the dependence of the data from time and dyad, we evaluated the effects of this intervention on physical and mental quality of life (QOL). There was a significant interaction of intervention * time * gender effect (p=0.003) for mental QOL. For males, PIL significantly increased mental QOL compared to controls (p=0.009); but for females the PIL and control did not differ (p=0.101). However, there was a dose response relationship for females (d=0.63). Females with > 50% attendance of PIL sessions increased their mental QOL, while those with <50% attendance had a decreased mental QOL. No intervention effects were observed on physical QOL. Our results provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a relationship strengthening intervention for young low-income minority parents to improve mental quality of life.

Comments

This is an Open Access Thesis.

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