The ROOTS Parenting Intervention to Improve Child Emotional and Physical Health: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial for Black and Latiné Families

Black and Latiné children in the United States experience disproportionate rates of emotional and physical health problems, yet few preventive interventions address both types of outcomes in a culturally relevant way. This study explores the feasibility of a parenting program that incorporates ethnic-racial socialization and healthy lifestyle behaviors to promote the health of Black and Latiné children ages 3-6. A type 1 hybrid randomized controlled trial will be conducted with 60 families, who will be assigned to a parenting program or an active control condition, assessed at three time points. Feasibility measures will include quantitative and qualitative assessments of implementation outcomes and determinants. The main intervention outcomes are child social-emotional functioning, child healthy lifestyle behaviors, and parenting processes. Findings will inform future efforts to implement and scale culturally relevant parenting interventions aiming to improve the emotional and physical health of minoritized children. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial began recruiting in May 2024 (Trial Registry: NCT06111651, Version 5, June 13, 2024). Participants are expected to complete their 3-month follow-up assessments at the end of fall 2025.