RecruitingNot Applicable

LOVING (Learning About Our Behavior is Valuable for Increasing Nurturing Relationships and Healthy Growth) RCT

Singapore624 participantsStarted 2026-05-25

Plain-language summary

The LOVING study is a randomized controlled trial designed to determine whether adaptations to an internationally recognized parenting program that enhances sensitive caregiving likewise improves sensitive caregiving in Singapore and, in turn, downstream child outcomes in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive development during the early childhood years. Research shows that sensitive caregiving is linked to secure relationships, decreased child mental health problems, better executive functioning, and potentially healthier body mass indices. The Video Feedback to Improve Positive Parenting and Sensitive Discipline (VIPP-SD) program is an internationally recognized home-based intervention designed to enhance sensitive caregiving. However, evidence demonstrating its efficacy in Asia remains extremely limited. Moreover, most previous evaluations have focused primarily on parenting or child mental health outcomes, with newer work only beginning to focus upon additional child outcomes. In this study, families with young children from median-income and below households living in Singapore will be randomly assigned to one of three groups. Some families will participate in a locally adapted version of the home-based VIPP-SD program that includes additional health-related scenarios (VIPP-SD-SingH). Other families will be assigned to CARE-SD, which was developed within the context of proof-of-concept research. CARE-SD is a standardized, digitally delivered parenting program using vicarious pre-rendered video examples and comments derived from the VIPP-SD program and does not include personalized feedback during home visits. Furthermore, CARE-SD includes health related scenarios and language and settings familiar to families living in Singapore. A third group will receive developmental information about children's learning and development (i.e., NeuroEducation Active Control). The programs are brief and are designed to be practical and accessible for families. Families participating in the study will take part in research visits that include questionnaires, observations of parent-child interaction, and activities designed to assess children's development. Laboratory visits will take place at IHDP (a collaborating institution) research facilities. Information collected in the study will help researchers better understand how parenting support programs influence children's emotional well-being, behavior, learning, and physical health. The results of this research may help inform the development of effective programs to support families and promote healthy child development.

Who can participate

Age range

2 Years – 65 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

Children must be 2 to 5.5 years of age at their pre-test visit. Children with a medical or developmental condition that makes it hard for them to see, hear, move, or communicate in typical ways (for example, autism spectrum disorder, down syndrome, spina bifida, or serious vision or hearing problems) will not be eligible to participate. This is because the study focuses on everyday patterns of parent-child interaction. Children with minor or symptom-free medical or genetic conditions (for example, traits that do not affect their day-to-day health or development) can take part. Parents must be between 21 and 65 years old at the time of consent. Mothers and fathers who consider themselves to have a major caregiving role are eligible. Parents who have been hospitalized for more than two weeks (inclusive) within the past 6 months and/or have had any in-patient mental health treatment within the past 6 months may not participate, nor may parents with notable neurodegenerative diagnosis such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, or Huntington's disease. Participants must be from families earning near to Singapore's median household income or below, provided recruitment and enrollment difficulties have not triggered a pre-defined rule leading to the omission of this requirement. Parents and children must be able to communicate in English, Mandarin, Bahasu Melayu, and/or Tamil. Participants must also be willing to be audio-video recorded and amenable to random assignment.

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Differential Change Pre-Post Parental Sensitivity Assessed via the Preschool MBQS (Parent Outcome) Confirmatory: VIPP-SD-SingH more favorable trajectory than NeuroEducation; Exploratory: CARE-SD more favorable trajectory than NeuroEducation

Timeframe: Prior to revealing the Treatment Arm until One to Three Months Post Last Intervention Session

Differential Change in Pre-Post PAPA Assessed ODD/Conduct Symptom Count (Child Outcome) Confirmatory: VIPP-SD-SingH more favorable trajectory than NeuroEducation; Exploratory: CARE-SD more favorable trajectory than NeuroEducation

Timeframe: Prior to revealing the Treatment Arm until One to Three Months Post Last Intervention Session

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07687524

SponsorNational University of Singapore

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2028-02-09

Contact for this trial

Christy Yifan Jiang, PhD

80695639 jyifan@nus.edu.sg

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Child Development trials

Plain-language summary

Who can participate

Age range

2 Years – 65 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

What they're measuring

Timeframe: Prior to revealing the Treatment Arm until One to Three Months Post Last Intervention Session