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CompletedNCT03268408BabyNewsletterUpdated Jun 25, 2025

Impact Evaluation of the "Baby Newsletter"

An observational study in Parenting, sponsored by Azienda USL Reggio Emilia - IRCCS. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-06-25.

Sponsored by Azienda USL Reggio Emilia - IRCCS · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Ecologic or community
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
136
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Not-randomized controlled study to evaluate a community intervention to promote self-efficacy parenting. The treated group will be composed by all newborns resident in S.Ilario d'Enza (105 in 2013) where the Baby Newsletter is implemented. Newborns resident in the Health District of Montecchio and born in Montecchio Hospital in the same period are the control group (278 in 2013). Preterm or hospitalized children are excluded.

Self-efficacy parenting is evaluated through a questionnaire administered at baseline, after 5 and 12 months.

Read the detailed description

Background

The importance of promoting parenting skills is worldwide recognized and, in Italy, different projects are implemented in order to develop these competences. The impact of these experiences is rarely evaluated.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the improvement in self-efficacy parenting produced by an intervention which consists in sending to every new parents, during the first year of life of their son, eight newsletters with advices and recommendations on child care and development (project "Baby Newsletter").

Methods

Not-randomized controlled study to evaluate a community intervention to promote self-efficacy parenting. The treated group will be composed by all newborns resident in S.Ilario d'Enza (105 in 2013) where the Baby Newsletter is implemented. Newborns resident in the Health District of Montecchio and born in Montecchio Hospital in the same period are the control group (278 in 2013). Preterm or hospitalized children are excluded.

Self-efficacy parenting is evaluated through the TOPSE (Tool to measure Parenting Self-Efficacy) questionnaire administered at baseline, in Montecchio Birth Unit or at the paediatric clinics, and at the vaccination appointments after 5 and 12 months.

02

Conditions studied

  • Parenting

Keywords

  • community intervention
  • newsletter
03

Who can participate

Ages eligible
Child (0–17), Adult (18–64), Older adult (65+)
Sexes eligible
All
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

  • Newsletter Group

    • all the parents of newborns delivered during the study period (01/09/2014 - 31/12/2015) resiident in the Sant'Ilario municipality.
  • Control Group

    • all the parents f newborns delivered during the study period (01/09/2014 - 31/12/2015) resident in other municipalities of the Montecchio health district

Inclusion criteria

  • being parent of a child born during the study enrollment period and resident in the Montecchio Health District
  • good comprehension of Italian language

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • delivering in other facilities than the Montecchio hospitals (only for controls)
  • parents of newborns with pathological conditions at born
  • parents of newborns that were transferred to another hospital immediately after born due to clinical reasons
  • parents of pre-term newborns
04

Study design

Observational model
Ecologic or community
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
136 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Groups and cohorts

  • Intervention

    Intervention aimed at improving self-efficacy parenting which consists in sending to new parents, during the first year of life of their son, eight newsletters with advices and recommendations on child care and development (project "Baby Newsletter").

    Behavioral: Baby Newsletter

  • Control

    Usual care

Interventions

  • BehavioralBaby Newsletter

    eight newsletters sent home to newborns' parents with advices and recommendations on child care and development

05

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Parenting score on the scale "emotion and affection"

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  2. Parenting score on the scale "play and enjoyment"

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  3. Parenting score on the scale "empathy and understanding"

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  4. Parenting score control

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  5. Parenting score on the scale "discipline and setting boundaries"

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  6. Parenting score pressures

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  7. Parenting score self-acceptance

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

  8. Parenting score on the scale "learning and knowledge"

    score based on 6 items of TOPSE questionnaire

    Time frame: 12 months

06

Study locations

1 site
  • Montecchio Hospital
    Montecchio Emilia, Italy
07

References and documents

Publications

  • Kendall S, Bloomfield L. Developing and validating a tool to measure parenting self-efficacy. J Adv Nurs. 2005 Jul;51(2):174-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2005.03479.x. PubMed 15963189 ↗
  • Panza C, Volta A, Broccoli S, Bonvicini L, Kendall S, Marchesi M, Giorgi Rossi P. Evaluation of an intervention aimed at supporting new parents: the Baby Newsletter project. Ital J Pediatr. 2020 Sep 4;46(1):123. doi: 10.1186/s13052-020-00886-5. PubMed 32887637 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided

08

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03268408
Lead sponsor
Azienda USL Reggio Emilia - IRCCS
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Aug 31, 2017
Start date
Sep 1, 2014
Primary completion
Dec 31, 2015
Completion
Dec 31, 2018
Last update
Jun 25, 2025

Study contacts

Costantino Panza, MD
principal investigator · AUSL Reggio Emilia

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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