Innovative Family Prevention With Latino Siblings in Disadvantaged Settings

NCT03706014 | Active Not Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: SITE18-0185
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 270
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The current study is a randomized intervention trial that tests the efficacy of a family-focused sibling relationship promotion program. The study includes a treatment group and a contact-equivalent attention control condition with 288 sibling dyads and data collection with target parents, target sibling dyads, and teachers at three time points (pre-test, post-test, and 18-month follow-up). Data will be collected using a three-cohort design with 96 families in each of the three cohorts.

Conditions

Promotion of Positive Sibling Relationships

Keywords

siblings; family; Latinos; social emotional competencies; parenting; middle childhood; late childhood

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (5)

• Parenting of Siblings Measure

  The measure assesses parents' perceptions of three constructs: Parents' positive guidance, authoritarian control, and involvement (McHale et al., 2000; Updegraff et al., 2016). For each subscale, scores range from 1 to 5. Higher subscale scores indicate more positive guidance (i.e., better outcome), higher involvement (i.e., better outcome), and higher authoritarian control (i.e., worse outcome). Subscales are not combined into a total score.

  16 weeks

• Sibling Prosocial Behavior

  The measure assesses parents' perceptions of one construct: Parents' ratings of children's supportive and prosocial behaviors (Stormshak, Bellanti, \& Bierman, 1996; Updegraff et al., 2016). Scores range from 1 to 6. Higher scores indicate parents' perceptions of target child's more prosocial behaviors toward their sibling (i.e., better outcome).

  16 weeks

• Sibling Intimacy

  The measure assesses siblings' ratings of intimacy/emotional support (Blyth \& Foster-Clark, 1987). Scores range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate target child's perceptions of higher sibling intimacy and closeness (i.e., better outcome).

  16 weeks

• Sibling Relationship Inventory: Negativity Subscale

  The measure assesses parents' ratings of sibling conflict and negativity (Stocker \& McHale, 1992). Scores range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate parents' perceptions of target child's greater negativity toward their sibling (i.e., worse outcome).

  16 weeks

• Sibling Relationship Inventory: Negativity Subscale

  The measure assesses children's ratings of sibling conflict and negativity (Furman \& Buhrmester, 1985). Scores range from 1 to 5. Higher scores indicate target child's perceptions of higher sibling conflict and negativity (i.e., worse outcome).

  16 weeks

Secondary Outcomes (9)

• Self-efficacy Measure

  16 weeks

• Children's Depression Inventory

  16 weeks

• Behavior Problem Index

  16 weeks

• Center for Epidemiological Depression Scale

  16 weeks

• Parenting Stress Index

  16 weeks

Study Arms (2)

SIBS Program

EXPERIMENTAL

The program condition includes 12 weekly 90-minute afterschool group sessions for siblings. Sessions are structured as psycho-educational groups and include social interactional activities, role-playing, discussion, and didactic presentation. The focus is on sibling relationship skills, cognitions, and activities. During a total of 3 family nights, parents attend with their children. Part of the family night session involves parents and children together. Another part of the session involves parents being separated from children. Family Nights promote parents' understanding of sibling relationships, review concepts, provide strategies for parental support of siblings, and teach parents skills for dealing with sibling problems. Family Nights include dinner and last 2 hours.

Behavioral: SIBS Program

Contact-Equivalent Attention Control

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

The Contact-Equivalent Attention Control condition includes 12 weekly 90-minute afterschool group sessions for siblings led by two co-leaders. Students work on educational games and activities. Groups begin with an icebreaker and continue with games and projects. This condition also includes 3 family nights, where parents attend with their children. Activities of the Family Nights include children showing their parents the activities they have been engaging in during the sessions. Family Nights include dinner and last 2 hours. Part of the family night session involves parents and children together. Another part of the session involves parents being separated from children; during this part, parents will break out with one group leader, and siblings will work with the other group leader.

Behavioral: Control

Interventions

SIBS Program BEHAVIORAL

Universal prevention program promoting positive sibling and family relationships conducted in an afterschool setting

SIBS Program

Control BEHAVIORAL

Contact-equivalent attention control program in which students play educational games

Contact-Equivalent Attention Control

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 5 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Target child has to be a 5th grader
• Target child has to be of Latino/Hispanic heritage
• Target child has to have a younger sibling enrolled in the same school in the 1st through 4th grade
• Target child and younger sibling have to be enrolled students in a participating elementary school.

You may not qualify if:

• \- Enrollment in a self-contained special education setting

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Harvard University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Arizona State University

Tempe, Arizona, 85287, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

• Updegraff KA, Umana-Taylor AJ, Rodriguez De Jesus SA, McHale SM, Feinberg MF, Kuo SI. Family-focused prevention with Latinos: What about sisters and brothers? J Fam Psychol. 2016 Aug;30(5):633-40. doi: 10.1037/fam0000200. Epub 2016 Apr 14.

  PMID: 27077238 BACKGROUND

• Feinberg ME, Solmeyer AR, Hostetler ML, Sakuma KL, Jones D, McHale SM. Siblings are special: initial test of a new approach for preventing youth behavior problems. J Adolesc Health. 2013 Aug;53(2):166-73. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.10.004. Epub 2012 Nov 20.

  PMID: 23298985 BACKGROUND

Study Officials

• Adriana J Umana-Taylor, PhD

  Harvard University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Kimberly A Updegraff, PhD

  Arizona State University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor

Model Details: Randomized Controlled Trial involving a contact-equivalent control group

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 26, 2018
• First Posted: October 15, 2018
• Study Start: September 29, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 15, 2025
• Study Completion: December 15, 2025
• Last Updated: October 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)