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NCT07712822

Overview

NCT ID: NCT07712822
Lead Sponsor: The University of Texas at ArlingtonOTHER
Official Title: Integrating Evidence-based Approaches to Prevent Child Maltreatment in Kyrgyzstan
Brief Summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a family-based prevention program works to prevent child maltreatment risk and other adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) among families in Kyrgyzstan. It will also learn about the safety, feasibility, and acceptability of the program. The main questions it aims to answer are: (1) Does the integrated family and economic empowerment program improve children's self-regulation, behavioral adjustment, and school adaptation? (2) Is the program feasible and acceptable for families and schools in Kyrgyzstan?

Researchers will compare the integrated prevention program to bolstered standard school services to see if the program improves child and family outcomes. Participants will: (a) Be randomly assigned to either the prevention program or bolstered standard school services; (b) Attend weekly group sessions for 16 weeks (if assigned to the prevention program); (c) Complete surveys at baseline, immediately after the 16-week program, and at the end of the school year; and (d) Provide information about child behavior, (co)parenting, family relationships, and financial well-being.

Results from this pilot study will inform a future larger trial.

Status and Timeline

Status: Recruiting
Last Update Posted: Jul 20, 2026Actual
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026Estimated
Primary Completion Date: Aug 31, 2027Estimated
Completion Date

Participation Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study: Child (0-17)Adult (18-64)Older Adult (65+)
Sexes Eligible for Study: All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: Yes
Eligibility Criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

Two adult caregivers (≥18 years old) who identify as co-parents or primary caregivers of a target child

Target child aged 6-9 years enrolled in one of the participating schools in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Both caregivers identify each other as family members responsible for the care of the child (e.g., parents, grandparents, or other adult caregivers)

Both caregivers report feeling safe participating together in a family-based program

Both caregivers are fluent in either Russian or Kyrgyz

Both caregivers are able and willing to provide informed consent

Child is able to provide assent and participate in age-appropriate assessments.

Family is willing to participate in study procedures, including random assignment and completion of assessments at baseline, post-intervention (16 weeks), and end-of-school-year follow-up.

Exclusion Criteria:

Report of severe physical or sexual intimate partner violence between caregivers within the past 12 months, as assessed during screening

Either caregiver is unable to provide informed consent

Either caregiver has a cognitive impairment or a severe mental health condition that would preclude participation in group sessions

Family plans to relocate outside the study area during the intervention period

Child has a severe developmental or medical condition that would prevent participation in assessments

Inability to communicate in Russian or Kyrgyz.

Study Plan

Study Type: Interventional
Phase: Not Applicable
Enrollment: 396Estimated
Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)

Contacts and Locations

Central Contacts: Associate Professor, PhDContact
saltanat.childress@uta.edu608-422-9771

Similar Studies

Participant Group/Arms

ExperimentalExperimental

The integrated prevention program is designed for families with children ages 6-9 to strengthen parenting, improve co-parenting relationships, reduce family conflict, and address financial stress linked to child maltreatment risk. Program topics include family communication, stress management, respectful conflict resolution, positive parenting, child self-regulation, and financial literacy and asset building. The intervention is delivered in school settings through 16 weekly group sessions that include skill-building exercises, guided discussions, and role-plays. The economic component includes workshops on savings, future planning, and income-generating strategies. The program is delivered by trained school social workers who receive structured training and supervision to support fidelity.

Behavioral: Integrated Family and Economic Empowerment Program

Bolstered Standard of CareNo Intervention

No Intervention (Bolstered Standard of Care) is designed to reflect usual school services available to families while providing minimal material support to promote retention and ethical balance. Schools in Kyrgyzstan do not routinely offer structured family-based behavioral interventions. Participants in this arm will receive standard educational services provided by their school, supplemented with school supplies (e.g., notebooks). Families in this arm will complete the same assessment schedule as the intervention group at baseline, immediately post-intervention (16 weeks), and end-of-school-year follow-up. No structured strengthening families, co-parenting, or economic empowerment sessions are provided in this condition.