Quality of Research
Documents Reviewed
The documents below were reviewed for Quality of Research. The research point of
contact can provide information regarding the studies reviewed and the availability
of additional materials, including those from more recent studies that may have been conducted.
Outcomes
| Outcome 1: Communication skills |
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Description of Measures
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Communication skills were assessed with the Family Wellness Evaluation Instrument, which contains 48 items pertaining to communication, conflict resolution, stress and change, problem solving, disciplinary skills, cohesion skills, family dynamics, couple skills, and domestic violence. The instrument was administered once, after the intervention, to measure preintervention results retrospectively and postintervention results. Using a scale ranging from 0 (never true) to 10 (always true), participants responded to each item (e.g., "When I want or need something, I tell my partner about it," "When I ask a family member to do something, I tell them when I need it to be done"). Higher scores indicate better skills.
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Key Findings
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A study was conducted with families (parents and children) who were (1) recruited from community referrals and advertising for participation in the intervention group, which received Family Wellness, or (2) recruited at a neighborhood grocery and general store for participation in the control group, which did not receive services. Parents in both groups were assessed after the 12-week intervention.
From pre- to postintervention, parents in the intervention group had a greater increase in scores for communication skills compared with parents in the control group (p < .001).
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Studies Measuring Outcome
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Study 1
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Study Designs
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Quasi-experimental
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Quality of Research Rating
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2.0
(0.0-4.0 scale)
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| Outcome 2: Conflict resolution skills |
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Description of Measures
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Conflict resolution skills were assessed with the Family Wellness Evaluation Instrument, which contains 48 items pertaining to communication, conflict resolution, stress and change, problem solving, disciplinary skills, cohesion skills, family dynamics, couple skills, and domestic violence. The instrument was administered once, after the intervention, to measure preintervention results retrospectively and postintervention results. Using a scale ranging from 0 (never true) to 10 (always true), participants responded to each item (e.g., "'If an argument with a family member gets too heated, I know how to ask for a 'time out' to calm down," "When there is a disagreement in the family, either my partner or I call for a family meeting to work things out"). Higher scores indicate better skills.
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Key Findings
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A study was conducted with families (parents and children) who were (1) recruited from community referrals and advertising for participation in the intervention group, which received Family Wellness, or (2) recruited at a neighborhood grocery and general store for participation in the control group, which did not receive services. Parents in both groups were assessed after the 12-week intervention.
From pre- to postintervention, parents in the intervention group had a greater increase in scores for conflict resolution skills compared with parents in the control group (p < .001).
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Studies Measuring Outcome
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Study 1
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Study Designs
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Quasi-experimental
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Quality of Research Rating
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2.0
(0.0-4.0 scale)
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| Outcome 3: Problem-solving skills |
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Description of Measures
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Problem-solving skills were assessed with the Family Wellness Evaluation Instrument, which contains 48 items pertaining to communication, conflict resolution, stress and change, problem solving, disciplinary skills, cohesion skills, family dynamics, couple skills, and domestic violence. The instrument was administered once, after the intervention, to measure preintervention results retrospectively and postintervention results. Using a scale ranging from 0 (never true) to 10 (always true), participants responded to each item (e.g., "When my partner talks to me about a problem, I let them know what I think they said," "Before I work on a problem, I make sure I know what I want the results to look like"). Higher scores indicate better skills.
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Key Findings
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A study was conducted with families (parents and children) who were (1) recruited from community referrals and advertising for participation in the intervention group, which received Family Wellness, or (2) recruited at a neighborhood grocery and general store for participation in the control group, which did not receive services. Parents in both groups were assessed after the 12-week intervention.
From pre- to postintervention, parents in the intervention group had a greater increase in scores for problem-solving skills compared with parents in the control group (p < .001).
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Studies Measuring Outcome
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Study 1
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Study Designs
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Quasi-experimental
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Quality of Research Rating
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2.0
(0.0-4.0 scale)
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| Outcome 4: Disciplinary skills |
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Description of Measures
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Disciplinary skills were assessed with the Family Wellness Evaluation Instrument, which contains 48 items pertaining to communication, conflict resolution, stress and change, problem solving, disciplinary skills, cohesion skills, family dynamics, couple skills, and domestic violence. The instrument was administered once, after the intervention, to measure preintervention results retrospectively and postintervention results. Using a scale ranging from 0 (never true) to 10 (always true), participants responded to each item (e.g., "When children follow the rules in our family, they are given extra privileges," "When children do not follow the rules in our family, they are given consequences"). Higher scores indicate better skills.
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Key Findings
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A study was conducted with families (parents and children) who were (1) recruited from community referrals and advertising for participation in the intervention group, which received Family Wellness, or (2) recruited at a neighborhood grocery and general store for participation in the control group, which did not receive services. Parents in both groups were assessed after the 12-week intervention.
From pre- to postintervention, parents in the intervention group had a greater increase in scores for disciplinary skills compared with parents in the control group (p < .001).
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Studies Measuring Outcome
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Study 1
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Study Designs
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Quasi-experimental
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Quality of Research Rating
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2.0
(0.0-4.0 scale)
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| Outcome 5: Cooperation skills |
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Description of Measures
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Cooperation skills were assessed with the Family Wellness Evaluation Instrument, which contains 48 items pertaining to communication, conflict resolution, stress and change, problem solving, disciplinary skills, cohesion skills, family dynamics, couple skills, and domestic violence. The instrument was administered once, after the intervention, to measure preintervention results retrospectively and postintervention results. Using a scale ranging from 0 (never true) to 10 (always true), participants responded to each item (e.g., "My partner and I work together well as a team," "Even when things are going bad, I still want to be with my partner"). Higher scores indicate better skills.
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Key Findings
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A study was conducted with families (parents and children) who were (1) recruited from community referrals and advertising for participation in the intervention group, which received Family Wellness, or (2) recruited at a neighborhood grocery and general store for participation in the control group, which did not receive services. Parents in both groups were assessed after the 12-week intervention.
From pre- to postintervention, parents in the intervention group had a greater increase in scores for cooperation skills compared with parents in the control group (p < .001).
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Studies Measuring Outcome
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Study 1
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Study Designs
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Quasi-experimental
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Quality of Research Rating
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2.0
(0.0-4.0 scale)
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Study Populations
The following populations were identified in the studies reviewed for Quality of
Research.
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Study
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Age
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Gender
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Race/Ethnicity
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Study 1
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18-25 (Young adult)
26-55 (Adult)
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72.2% Female
27.8% Male
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77.1% Hispanic or Latino
18.5% White
1.5% Black or African American
1.5% Race/ethnicity unspecified
1% American Indian or Alaska Native
0.5% Asian
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Quality of Research Ratings by Criteria (0.0-4.0 scale)
External reviewers independently evaluate the Quality of Research for an intervention's
reported results using six criteria:
For more information about these criteria and the meaning of the ratings, see Quality of Research.
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Outcome
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Reliability
of Measures
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Validity
of Measures
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Fidelity
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Missing
Data/Attrition
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Confounding
Variables
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Data
Analysis
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Overall
Rating
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1: Communication skills
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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1.5
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2.0
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2.5
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2.0
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2: Conflict resolution skills
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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1.5
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2.0
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2.5
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2.0
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3: Problem-solving skills
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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1.5
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2.0
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2.5
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2.0
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4: Disciplinary skills
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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1.5
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2.0
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2.5
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2.0
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5: Cooperation skills
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2.0
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2.0
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2.0
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1.5
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2.0
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2.5
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2.0
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Study Strengths The measure had evidence of acceptable reliability. A validation process that included content experts was used to establish face validity of the measure, and questions were stated in English and Spanish, thus minimizing misinterpretation. Considerable effort went into training and supervision to maintain intervention fidelity. An appropriate sample size was used.
Study Weaknesses Although intervention fidelity was discussed in the study, no evidence was provided to support whether the intervention was implemented as intended. Attrition and missing data were difficult to assess because of a lack of corresponding numbers for different categories of data. No procedures for handling missing data were described. Despite explanations of similarity between the intervention and control groups, there appear to be gender differences and differences in the length of the parents' current relationship. Covariates were not discussed. There was no discussion concerning the conduct of more sophisticated analyses to control for group differences.
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