EFFECTIVENESS OF FAMILY-CENTERED CARE ON PARENTING SENSE OF COMPETENCE AMONG PARENTS OF PRETERM INFANTS AT TAM ANH GENERAL HOSPITAL, HO CHI MINH CITY
Main Article Content
Abstract
Introduction: Family-centred care (FCC) is a cornerstone of developmental neonatal care that promotes parental engagement and improves outcomes for preterm infants and their families. However, prospective evidence on structured FCC implementation in Vietnamese neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) remains limited.
Objective: To evaluate the impact of a structured FCC programme on parenting sense of competence among parents of pre-term infants admitted to a tertiary NICU.
Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test – post-test design was conducted from March 2025 to March 2026, enrolling 110 parents of preterm infants (<37 weeks) admitted to the NICU for ≥5 days. Parenting competence was assessed using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale–Revised (PSOC-R). Data was analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA and post-hoc tests.
Results: Overall parenting sense of competence scores increased progressively across the three assessment time points, from 58.4 ± 6.2 at NICU admission to 71.6 ± 4.1 at transfer to rooming-in care and 83.5 ± 5.1 before discharge (overall P<0.001; partial η²=0.35). Significant improvements were also observed in both subscales. Satisfaction scores increased from 29.9 ± 10.3 to 34.9 ± 8.7 and 40.6 ± 8.6 (P<0.001; partial η²=0.28). Similarly, Efficacy scores increased from 28.5 ± 11.0 to 36.7 ± 8.1 and 42.9 ± 9.0 (P<0.001; partial η²=0.42).
Conclusions: Implementation of a structured FCC programme was associated with improvements in parenting sense of competence among parents of preterm infants, with moderate-to-large effect sizes across all domains.
Keywords
Family-centred care, neonatal intensive care, Parenting Sense of Competence, preterm infant
Article Details
References
2. Garfield CF, Lee YS, Kim HN, Rutsohn J, Kahn JY, McAuliffe T, et al. Supporting parents of premature infants transitioning from the NICU to home: a pilot randomized controlled trial of a smartphone application. Internet Interv. 2016;4:131-137.
3. Gilmore L, Cuskelly M, Wilson J, Hayes A, Buchanan A. The Parenting Sense of Competence Scale: updating a classic. Child Care Health Dev. 2024;50(2):e13173.
4. Hodgson CR, Mehra R, Franck LS. Infant and family outcomes and experiences related to family-centered care interventions in the NICU: a systematic review. Children (Basel). 2025;12(3):290.
5. Kutahyalioglu NS, Scafide KN. Effects of family-centered care on bonding: a systematic review. J Child Health Care. 2023;27(4):721-737.
6. Mariani I, Vuillard CLJ, Bua J, Girardelli M, Lazzerini M, Barbi E. Family-centred care interventions in neonatal intensive care units: a scoping review of randomised controlled trials providing a menu of interventions, outcomes and measurement methods. BMJ Paediatr Open. 2024;8(Suppl 2):e002537.
7. Nieves H, Santos M. Effect of a parent empowerment program on parental stress, satisfaction, and length of stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2021;35(1):92-99.
8. Shahraki SK, Khodadadi E, Kazemi A, Ghasemi F. Impact of family-centered care on parenting role and sense of competence in parents of preterm neonates: a quasi-experimental study. J Neonatal Nurs. 2025;31:267-274.