| Research suggests that children in Hong Kong are at an elevated risk for emotional problems, and authoritarian parenting is one of the factors associated with psychopathology among children. This study evaluated the 6As Positive Parenting Program's effectiveness in changing parenting attitudes in a sample of Hong Kong parents. Its focus is on prevention and on instilling positive beliefs and principles for their parenting roles, rather than dealing with existing problems. Participants (N = 82) were a convenience sample of 41 individuals in the 6A intervention group (28 women, 13 men) and a sample of 41 individuals in a control group (30 women, 11 men), who were Cantonese-speaking Chinese residents of Hong Kong. The effectiveness of the program was evaluated using a 2 x 2 mixed design with one between-subjects factor (intervention versus control) and one within-subjects factor (pre- versus post-treatment). Dependent measures were the Chinese Child-rearing Beliefs Questionnaire (CCRBQ, Lieber, Fung, & Leung, 2006), Parental Stress Scale (PSS, Berry, & Jones, 1995), Parental Self-efficacy Scale (CONF) and participant feedback. Pearson product-moment correlations were computed to analyze the intercorrelations among the CCRBQ subscales (training, shame, autonomy and authoritative), the PSS and the CONF scales. Results showed that relative to a control group, the "6As Positive Parenting Program" effectively changed parents' parenting attitudes, reduced parenting stress, and increased self-efficacy in parenting. Participants generally agreed that the program is a good fit for Hong Kong culture. Taken together, these findings support a focus on positive practices for future parenting training in Hong Kong. |
