Truscott, Gemma P. (2023) Understanding Non-User Parents’ Health Beliefs and Their Initial Engagement in Parenting Interventions. Honours thesis, University of Southern Queensland. (Unpublished)
Abstract
Participation in evidence-based parenting interventions has resulted in positive outcomes for parents, children, and society. However, reported low rates of parental engagement, high dropout, and poor program reach limit their public health benefits. The Health Belief Model (HBM) has demonstrated predictive utility when applied to parental intention to participate and actual engagement in parenting interventions. It offers a solid theoretical framework for research targeting an understudied population, parents who have never participated in a parenting intervention, namely, non-user parents. This descriptive-correlational study examined the capacity of HBM constructs (perceived threat, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and parental self-efficacy) to predict non-user parents’ intention to participate and initial engagement (recruitment, enrolment, and first attendance) with a parenting intervention. Secondary analysis of cross-sectional data was conducted using a sample of 770 non-user parents of children aged between 2 and 12 years living in Australia. Measures included the Family Background Questionnaire, the Child Adjustment and Parent Efficacy Scale, the HBM Benefits and Barriers Questionnaire, and questions on parental intention to participate and initial engagement. Logistic regression analyses showed that all HBM constructs predicted non-user parents’ intention to participate and enrolment, whereas the models for recruitment and first attendance were non-significant. Greater perceived threat and benefits, but lower barriers and parental self-efficacy predicted higher intention to participate and enrolment. This research has extended previous findings and provided avenues for future research to improve the implementation and reach of evidence-based parenting interventions when targeting non-user parents.
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| Item Type: | Thesis (Non-Research) (Honours) |
|---|---|
| Item Status: | Live Archive |
| Additional Information: | Current UniSQ staff and students can request access to this thesis. Please email research.repository@unisq.edu.au with a subject line of SEAR thesis request and provide: Name of the thesis requested and Your name and UniSQ email address |
| Faculty/School / Institute/Centre: | Current – Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences - School of Psychology and Wellbeing (1 Jan 2022 -) |
| Supervisors: | Carolina Gonzalez |
| Qualification: | Bachelor of Science (Honours) |
| Date Deposited: | 07 Aug 2025 01:29 |
| Last Modified: | 07 Aug 2025 01:29 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | parents, intention, engagement, parenting interventions, health belief model |
| Fields of Research (2008): | 17 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 1799 Other Psychology and Cognitive Sciences > 179999 Psychology and Cognitive Sciences not elsewhere classified |
| Fields of Research (2020): | 52 PSYCHOLOGY > 5299 Other psychology > 529999 Other psychology not elsewhere classified |
| URI: | https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/52830 |
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