Cultural Adaptation of Parenting Interventions: Formative Evaluation in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose: This formative evaluation examined the cultural and contextual relevance of the Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children program's content and delivery for the rural Thai context and its scalability within the public health system. Method: Twenty-six professionals and academics participated in interviews and focus groups to inform adaptation and testing. Data were analyzed thematically. Results: Although the intervention was generally considered relevant, tensions emerged between perceived social norms, practices, and needs. Recommendations included flexible usage of local languages as appropriate, content reflective of local culture, emphasis on positive parent–child relationship building and child participation, removal of time-out, weekend sessions, health workers as facilitators and recruiters, inclusive recruitment approaches and incentives, local primary care centers as venues, and top-down policy implementation, cross-sectoral partnerships, and model delivery centers as scale-up strategies. Discussion: These findings provide guidance on parenting intervention implementation in general in Thailand and may inform efforts to deliver them in other contexts.