Catherine L. Ward, Matthew Sanders, Frances Gardner and Andrew Dawes

Parenting as a public health issue Parenting plays a key role in a range of children’s developmental outcomes Good parenting also builds children’s emotional resilience So parenting reduces the burden on the health system – and…. On the educational and criminal justice system And boosts the national economy

What criteria must be met for a public health approach to work? 1. Know the prevalence rates of the target behaviour 2. Understand risk and protective factors 3. Target risk and protective factors in programmes 1. And for population-based approaches, design programmes with low intensity and wide reach 4. Questions: 1. Is this necessarily a linear approach? 2. What is “good enough” evidence?

Introducing evidence-based programmes to LMICs Examine cultural acceptability What is “culture”? Who to invite to comment? Audit existing policies and programmes Test and develop programmes in context What is “context”?

Other issues to consider in LMICs The available workforce is relatively untrained Political will for early intervention in the face of other immediate priorities Child protection services typically swamped with statutory removal of children Costs and funding Benefits to researchers from HICs