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Abstract
Universal parenting programs could offer effective prevention for externalising behaviour problems in children. Demonstration of effectiveness requires formal trials, but feasibility data are essential to fund such trials.We report feasibility data from a universal prevention program on parenting, delivered to 57 mothers of infants at their eight-month visit by nurses in well child clinics, Melbourne, Australia. The paper reports on maternal views of the program's usefulness for managing child behaviour, nurse reports of program feasibility and competence in managing child behaviour, and barriers to program implementation. Strategies to encourage positive behaviour and manage misbehaviour in young children were rated as ‘quite’ to ‘extremely’ useful by 89% and 91% of mothers respectively. Nurses reported that the program was feasible to conduct and increased their competence to prevent behaviour problems. Mothers who attended the program were less likely to report continuity of difficult child behaviour from eight to eighteen months of age. Barriers to implementation included lack of after-hours sessions (75%) and childcare (57%).We conclude that a brief universal preventative program for early externalising problems is useful for mothers and feasible in primary health care.