Parenting Program Trial to Enhance Sensitive Caregiving and Support Child Development in Singapore

What this Trial Is About

The LOVING study is a randomized controlled trial investigating whether an adapted parenting program can improve sensitive caregiving and positively influence child development in Singapore. Sensitive caregiving is linked to secure attachments, better child behavior, executive functioning, and physical health. The study focuses on families with young children from median-income and below households and aims to assess emotional, behavioral, cognitive, and physical outcomes during early childhood. Participants are randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group receives the VIPP-SD-SingH program, a home-based intervention with video feedback and personalized coaching adapted for the Singapore context with health-related content. Another group receives CARE-SD, a standardized digital program with video examples and activities but no personalized feedback. The third group receives NeuroEducation for Parents, an active control providing developmental information without focusing on sensitive caregiving. Each program involves seven sessions over a maximum of 32 weeks. Families participate in research visits involving questionnaires, parent-child interaction observations, and child development assessments including executive functioning, emotional memory, and physical fitness. Biological samples such as hair and buccal swabs are collected for hormonal and genetic studies. Researchers measure changes in parental sensitivity, child behavior, executive function, and body mass index. The study includes safety monitoring and will conduct cost-effectiveness analyses. Participation lasts through intervention and assessment periods up to one to three months after the last session.

LOVING (Learning About Our Behavior is Valuable for Increasing Nurturing Relationships and Healthy Growth) RCT