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The purpose of this paper is to examine the association of various family factors with children’s fruit and vegetable (FV) intake.

A cross-sectional analysis of data from 601 parent-child dyads with children aged three to six years old was conducted. Parents completed questionnaires on child’s FV intake, parenting styles, parental feeding practices, family functioning, television viewing at mealtimes and frequency of family meals. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between various family factors and the likelihood of meeting the child’s daily FV recommendation with adjustment for different demographic variables.

Multivariate model adjusting for sociodemographic data indicated that meeting vegetable recommendation was associated with lower frequency of dining with grandparents (Odds ratio (OR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89–0.99, p=0.031) and positively associated with parents using more desirable parental feeding practices (OR 1.15, 95% CI 1.09–1.21, p<0.001). Meeting fruit recommendation was associated with parents using more desirable parental feeding practices (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.09–1.17, p<0.001), higher frequency of dining with grandparents (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00–1.10, p=0.041), lower frequency of dining with father (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82–0.98, p=0.014) and higher score on authoritative parenting style (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.01–1.08, p=0.009).

This study highlights the potential protective roles of various family factors, in particular authoritative parenting style and parental feeding practices, such as role modeling, moderate restrictive practices for less healthy foods, avoidance of forced feeding, and not using junk food as reward in relation to meeting FV recommendation in children. The role of grandparents in influencing the young children’s eating behaviors within the Chinese family warrants further investigation.

Socially disadvantaged parents often concentrate on providing for their children instead of stimulating them to learn because of their own low self‐efficacy as learning agents. This study describes the development and pilot evaluation of a programme designed to empower new immigrant parents in Hong Kong to assume active, systematic and confident roles to teach their pre‐school children learning skills. A needs assessment was conducted to guide the development of the programme, which was also informed by research evidence and community engagement. A pilot trial was conducted and qualitative data were obtained from the participating parents. Parents reported improvements in their children's motivation to learn and the parent‐child relationship. The research provided information on programme design, delivery and implementation strategies. It suggested important entry points to engage and empower parents to provide timely stimulation to their young children.

The purpose of this paper is to compare the effectiveness of directive programmes led by professionals where parents were taught specific parenting knowledge and strategies (Triple P – Positive Parenting Program) and non-directive parenting programmes in the form of mutual-aid support group as a universal prevention programme.

This study employed a randomised controlled trial design. Participants included 92 Hong Kong Chinese parents with preschool children recruited from eight kindergartens and a local church. They were randomised into Group Triple P, non-directive group and control group. They completed measures on their perception of child behaviour problems and their parental stress before and after intervention.

At post-intervention, results indicated significantly greater decrease in child disruptive behaviours among participants in the Triple P group than those in the non-directive group and control group while no significant group difference was found between the latter two groups. No significant difference was found in post-intervention parental stress level among the three groups.

This study provides empirical evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of a directive parenting programme vs a non-directive one.

This study examined the effectiveness of the Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program in a government child health service delivery context with Chinese parents in Hong Kong. Specifically, the study sought to identify pre‐intervention variables that might predict programme outcomes such as level of clinical improvement and programme completion. Participants were 661 parents of pre‐school and primary aged children participating in a group version of the Triple P‐Positive Parenting Program. There were significant decreases in disruptive child behaviours, levels of parenting stress, general stress and anxiety and an increase in parenting sense of competence. Greater change in reports of child behaviour problems was related to lower levels of family income, new immigrant family status, and higher pre‐intervention levels of parenting stress. The present study provides a profile of parents who are most likely to benefit from parent training programmes.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the effectiveness of two intervention formats of the Positive Parenting Programme (Triple P) – Level 4 Group Triple P (TP) and brief parent discussion group (DI) with the waitlist control group (WL).

Participants included 91 Chinese parents with preschool children in Hong Kong from eight preschools, who were randomised into the two intervention conditions (TP and DI) and a waitlist control group (WL). Parent participants completed measures on child behaviours and parenting stress before and after intervention.

Results indicated that there was a significant decrease in post-intervention child behavioural problems in the TP group, with a medium effect size when compared to the WL group. There was a decrease in post-intervention child behaviour problems in the DI group, compared with the WL group. No significant difference was found in post-intervention child behaviour problems between the TP group and the DI group.

The positive results in the present study support the extension of the implementation of Triple P interventions to the preschool setting in Hong Kong. The effectiveness of the brief parent discussion group in reducing parental report of child behaviour problems provides preliminary support for its potential as a universal preventive parenting intervention in the local context.

The study was the first evaluation of the Level-4 Triple P programme in a local school context as well as the first evaluation of effectiveness of the brief parent discussion group in the local context at the time of the study.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the needs and experiences of Chinese families where grandparents were involved in the non-custodial care of their grandchildren.

In total five grandparent focus groups and three parent focus groups were conducted. The data were analysed using the constant comparative method.

Though most grandparents enjoyed their grandparent roles, there were differences in the perception of the grandparent role between grandparents and parents. Both grandparents and parents reported intergenerational conflicts on the management of the grandchildren, which was distressing for both parties.

It was suggested that grandparent training programmes might be a viable strategy to support families.

The study provided insights into family dynamics in the context of grandparent caregiving, child development, as well as children's services.

This article reviews the first volume of the Journal of Children's Services. In doing so, it discusses broader directions and challenges in research, policy and practice. The article focuses on discussion about outcomes, the ‘idea’ of children's services and the impact of interventions on children's health and development. It welcomes reflections on different approaches to outcome measurement, analyses of the practicalities of implementing policy reforms and rigorous evaluations of the impact of Early Years, parenting and other programmes. At the same time, it suggests specific areas in which more work would be valuable, including: socio‐political commentary on policy developments; methods of and results from need analyses; empirical research on inter‐agency initiatives; how to improve the processes and structures that underpin good outcomes; transitions; and understanding ‘what works’ in research dissemination and utilisation. The value of international perspectives (including intra‐UK comparisons) is stressed. Forthcoming special editions on randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (2007) and anti‐social behaviour by young people (2008) will help to address other points raised.