Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study
BackgroundExtensive literature highlights the effectiveness of parenting programs for early childhood and parental outcomes globally. Increasing evidence shows that digital parenting programs are as effective as those delivered in person and that digital delivery is acceptabl...
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JMIR Publications
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e65705 |
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| author | Haley M LaMonica Victoria Loblay Adam Poulsen Gabrielle Hindmarsh Mafruha Alam Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar Qaisar Khan Yun J C Song Jacob J Crouse Chloe Wilson Madelaine Sweeney-Nash Olivia Iannelli Aila Naderbagi Iqthyer U Zahed Adam Yoon Mujahid Torwali Jakelin Troy Ian B Hickie |
| author_facet | Haley M LaMonica Victoria Loblay Adam Poulsen Gabrielle Hindmarsh Mafruha Alam Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar Qaisar Khan Yun J C Song Jacob J Crouse Chloe Wilson Madelaine Sweeney-Nash Olivia Iannelli Aila Naderbagi Iqthyer U Zahed Adam Yoon Mujahid Torwali Jakelin Troy Ian B Hickie |
| author_sort | Haley M LaMonica |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
BackgroundExtensive literature highlights the effectiveness of parenting programs for early childhood and parental outcomes globally. Increasing evidence shows that digital parenting programs are as effective as those delivered in person and that digital delivery is acceptable to parents. However, parenting programs cannot be one-size-fits-all but rather need to be developed, adapted, and refined to account for the context, culture, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of the intended target audience.
ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the key research lessons learned from Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five International Program, a large-scale digital and nondigital child-rearing program, including how they relate to research and development (R&D) processes and sociocultural context. The “core elements” of R&D identified in the Medical Research Council’s framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions served as a guide to synthesize the data from this 3-year (2021-2024) program.
MethodsWe used a multicase study design to build a deep understanding of the program, including how it varied across and was influenced by diverse sociocultural and contextual factors across 10 low- and middle-income countries. Data analysis for each case occurred over 3 phases, including qualitative data analysis and reporting, data synthesis to inform the transfer of learnings to the program, and, finally, a secondary analysis relating to program theory, stakeholder engagement, and the refinement of the program as they related to, interacted with, and were influenced by context.
ResultsThe analysis resulted in five themes: (1) the role and value of partnerships, including the importance of selecting partners with strong and broad networks; (2) building collaborative practice with partners, which identifies strategies to foster collaboration; (3) honing a target audience, which emphasizes the importance of identifying the end user at the start of R&D; (4) navigating the digital landscape, including the use of context-specific dissemination strategies; and (5) managing linguistic diversity and translation, including the value of embedding a translator on the project team. Learnings regarding context and cultural diversity were integrated throughout the results.
ConclusionsDigital parenting programs must be appropriate for and accessible to the target audience, aligned with information and communications technology infrastructure and policies, and fill a need in the digital health marketplace. When this is not feasible, a multichannel approach to dissemination using digital and nondigital strategies is necessary. While likely to increase project complexity, cross-sectoral partnerships, including with government bodies, are likely to broaden the program’s reach. To facilitate digital parenting projects, it is critical that sufficient time be allocated to build meaningful collaborative partnerships centered on respect, cultural understanding, and open communication and grounded by a shared vision. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-99b9cc53f05e464e91c0539e82bcfd57 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-99b9cc53f05e464e91c0539e82bcfd572025-07-29T19:00:52ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712025-07-0127e6570510.2196/65705Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase StudyHaley M LaMonicahttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6563-5467Victoria Loblayhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-4094-9619Adam Poulsenhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-0001-3894Gabrielle Hindmarshhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-3328Mafruha Alamhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-7433-4220Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwarhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-1936-7120Qaisar Khanhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9689-1666Yun J C Songhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8776-6305Jacob J Crousehttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3805-2936Chloe Wilsonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6539-423XMadelaine Sweeney-Nashhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5041-9155Olivia Iannellihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-4881-2900Aila Naderbagihttps://orcid.org/0009-0003-9558-1142Iqthyer U Zahedhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8424-8684Adam Yoonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-9960-954XMujahid Torwalihttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-6960-8917Jakelin Troyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-8044-1150Ian B Hickiehttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-8832-9895 BackgroundExtensive literature highlights the effectiveness of parenting programs for early childhood and parental outcomes globally. Increasing evidence shows that digital parenting programs are as effective as those delivered in person and that digital delivery is acceptable to parents. However, parenting programs cannot be one-size-fits-all but rather need to be developed, adapted, and refined to account for the context, culture, attitudes, behaviors, and expectations of the intended target audience. ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the key research lessons learned from Minderoo Foundation’s Thrive by Five International Program, a large-scale digital and nondigital child-rearing program, including how they relate to research and development (R&D) processes and sociocultural context. The “core elements” of R&D identified in the Medical Research Council’s framework for developing and evaluating complex interventions served as a guide to synthesize the data from this 3-year (2021-2024) program. MethodsWe used a multicase study design to build a deep understanding of the program, including how it varied across and was influenced by diverse sociocultural and contextual factors across 10 low- and middle-income countries. Data analysis for each case occurred over 3 phases, including qualitative data analysis and reporting, data synthesis to inform the transfer of learnings to the program, and, finally, a secondary analysis relating to program theory, stakeholder engagement, and the refinement of the program as they related to, interacted with, and were influenced by context. ResultsThe analysis resulted in five themes: (1) the role and value of partnerships, including the importance of selecting partners with strong and broad networks; (2) building collaborative practice with partners, which identifies strategies to foster collaboration; (3) honing a target audience, which emphasizes the importance of identifying the end user at the start of R&D; (4) navigating the digital landscape, including the use of context-specific dissemination strategies; and (5) managing linguistic diversity and translation, including the value of embedding a translator on the project team. Learnings regarding context and cultural diversity were integrated throughout the results. ConclusionsDigital parenting programs must be appropriate for and accessible to the target audience, aligned with information and communications technology infrastructure and policies, and fill a need in the digital health marketplace. When this is not feasible, a multichannel approach to dissemination using digital and nondigital strategies is necessary. While likely to increase project complexity, cross-sectoral partnerships, including with government bodies, are likely to broaden the program’s reach. To facilitate digital parenting projects, it is critical that sufficient time be allocated to build meaningful collaborative partnerships centered on respect, cultural understanding, and open communication and grounded by a shared vision.https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e65705 |
| spellingShingle | Haley M LaMonica Victoria Loblay Adam Poulsen Gabrielle Hindmarsh Mafruha Alam Mahalakshmi Ekambareshwar Qaisar Khan Yun J C Song Jacob J Crouse Chloe Wilson Madelaine Sweeney-Nash Olivia Iannelli Aila Naderbagi Iqthyer U Zahed Adam Yoon Mujahid Torwali Jakelin Troy Ian B Hickie Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study |
| title_full | Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study |
| title_fullStr | Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study |
| title_short | Top 10 Research Lessons Learned From a Digital Child-Rearing Program in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Multicase Study |
| title_sort | top 10 research lessons learned from a digital child rearing program in low and middle income countries multicase study |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e65705 |
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