@article{discovery10187437,
       publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
            note = {{\copyright} The Author(s) 2024. Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the
original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or
other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line
to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory
regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this
licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecom-
mons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data.},
         journal = {Trials},
           title = {A hybrid digital parenting programme to prevent abuse of adolescents in Tanzania: study protocol for a pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial},
            year = {2024},
           month = {February},
          volume = {25},
            issn = {1745-6215},
        abstract = {Background:
Evidence-based parenting programmes have strong evidence in preventing and mitigating violence, but in-person programmes are challenging to deliver at scale. ParentApp is an open-source, offline-first app-based adaptation of the Parenting for Lifelong Health for Parents and Teens programme to promote playful and positive parenting, reduce risks for sexual violence victimisation, and prevent violence against adolescents. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of ParentApp compared to an attention-control group.//

Methods:
This study is a two-arm pragmatic cluster-randomised controlled trial to test whether ParentApp reduces adolescent physical abuse, emotional abuse, and sexual violence risks and victimisation at 1 month and 12 months post-intervention. Caregivers of adolescents aged 10-17 years and their adolescent children (Nā€‰=ā€‰2400 caregiver-adolescent dyads) will be recruited in urban and peri-urban communities in the Mwanza region of Tanzania. A total of 80 study clusters will be stratified and randomised (1:1) to the intervention group, who will receive ParentApp with support through a WhatsApp group, or to an attention-control group, who will receive a water, sanitation, and hygiene app. Quantitative data will be collected through outcomes questionnaires with caregivers and adolescents, administered at baseline, 4 months post-baseline, and 16 months post-baseline, as well as through routine implementation data and ParentApp engagement data. Qualitative data will be collected through individual interviews and focus groups with caregivers, adolescents, and implementing partner staff.//

Discussion:
App-based interventions have the potential to expand access to evidence-based parenting support, but currently lack rigorous evidence in low- and middle-income countries. This is the first known randomised control trial of a hybrid digital parenting programme to prevent the abuse of adolescents in low- and middle-income settings.//

Trial registration:
The trial was registered on the Open Science Framework on 14 March 2023, registration: OSF.IO/T9FXZ.},
          author = {Baerecke, Lauren and Ornellas, Abigail and Wamoyi, Joyce and Wambura, Mwita and Klapwijk, Jonathan and Chetty, Angelique N and Simpson, Ashlin and Janowski, Roselinde and de Graaf, Kristen and Stern, David and Clements, Lily and te Winkel, Esmee and Christine, Laetitia and Mbosoli, Gervas and Nyalali, Kija and Onduru, Onduru Gervas and Booij, Anna and Mjwara, Sussie N and Tsoanyane, Sibongile and Mshana, Gerry and Mwakitalu, Mbutolwe Esther and Melendez-Torres, GJ and Calderon, Francisco and Awah, Isang and Green, Ohad and Vallance, Inge and Somefun, Oluwaseyi and Gardner, Frances and Sherr, Lorraine and Martin, Mackenzie and Lachman, Jamie M and Cluver, Lucie D},
             url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-023-07893-x}
}