Structured Video Chats for Child-Grandparent Relationships

Overseen By Mary Ellen Jackson

Age: < 18

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Lafayette College

Disqualifiers: Does not meet inclusion criteria

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 10

Duration: 8 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores how structured video chats can strengthen the connection between grandparents and their young grandchildren. Researchers are testing three video chat methods: structured play, structured reading, and a no-instructions control group (where families receive instructions for a family Zoom session). They aim to determine if these structured chats improve children's engagement and enhance the closeness grandparents feel with their grandkids. Families with children between 18 months and 5 years old who regularly use Zoom and speak English might be a good fit for this study. As an unphased trial, this study offers families a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance intergenerational bonds.

Do I need to stop my current medications to join the trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. It seems unlikely that you would need to stop, as the trial focuses on video chat interactions.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What prior data suggests that structured video chats are safe for child-grandparent interactions?

Research shows that structured video chats, like those in this study, are generally well-received by families. Previous studies have found that organized programs for grandparents can enhance interactions with children. For instance, activities such as reading together and playing games over video chat have been linked to better social interactions and increased engagement from children.

While specific data on negative effects from these activities is lacking, video chatting with family is considered low risk. This interaction aims to improve relationships and communication, not to introduce a new drug or medical treatment. Participants can therefore expect a safe experience focused on building closer connections with loved ones. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about this trial because it explores innovative ways to strengthen child-grandparent relationships through structured video chat activities. Unlike typical video calls, which may lack focus and engagement, this trial tests specific activities designed to foster closeness and improve language and social skills. The Structured Play and Structured Reading Conditions introduce organized activities like shared book reading, show and tell, and drawing, which are not typically part of standard video chats. These approaches aim to create meaningful interactions that could lead to better emotional bonding and developmental outcomes for children, providing a refreshing take on maintaining family connections in the digital age.

What evidence suggests that structured video chats could be effective for improving child-grandparent relationships?

This trial will compare different approaches to video chats between grandparents and grandchildren. Research has shown that structured video chats, such as those involving reading and playing, can strengthen the bond between them. In the Structured Reading Condition of this trial, studies have found that when grandparents and grandchildren read together during video calls, it can increase the child's interest and help build a stronger emotional connection. Reading together helps both the child and grandparent focus on the same thing, which can improve the child's language and social skills. Meanwhile, in the Structured Play Condition, activities like show and tell or drawing have boosted children's interest and focus, which are important for building relationships. These activities make video chats more enjoyable and can help grandparents feel closer to their grandchildren. ^{1 6 7 8 9}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Lauren J Myers, Ph.D.

Principal Investigator

Lafayette College

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for families with a child aged 18 months to 5 years, where all members speak English and have a stable internet connection. They must have access to a device capable of Zoom calls and be able to see and hear well enough for effective communication during these video chats.

Inclusion Criteria

stable internet connection for all parties

You need to have the ability to hear and communicate clearly during Zoom meetings.

I can see the screen well enough to use Zoom effectively.

Exclusion Criteria

does not meet any of the inclusion criteria

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Families engage in 10 video chat sessions under structured play, structured reading, or control conditions

8 weeks

10 video chat sessions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for engagement, joint attention, and grandparent enjoyment and closeness

4 weeks

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Instructions for family Zoom session

Trial Overview The study tests two methods of improving video chat interactions between young children (18-72 months old) and their remote grandparents: structured play or reading versus no specific instructions. It aims to enhance engagement, joint attention, enjoyment, and feelings of closeness in these virtual family gatherings.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Structured Reading Condition Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The following describes ONE intervention type with the following rationale. For our structured play condition, we chose to investigate the activities of playing show and tell, imitating with objects, and drawing because these are common activities derived from lab-based video chat experiments with children, many of which are authored by the PI and Co-I.

Group II: Structured Play Condition Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The following describes ONE intervention type with the following rationale. We chose to investigate shared book reading because it is a structured activity that is familiar, emotionally engaging, and supportive of general knowledge and language development. Adults report that shared reading is an important bonding activity that builds adult-child closeness through back- and-forth interactions. Importantly, the joint attention that occurs during shared book reading when adults and children share focus on the book may promote language and social emotional outcomes. Children are responsive and attentive during shared reading over video chat, but it is unknown whether a triadic interaction can be established during reading via video chat.

Group III: Control Condition Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

The control families will be asked to do video chat as usual, with no specific instructions.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Lafayette College

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1

Recruited

540+

University of South Dakota

Collaborator

Trials

16

Recruited

2,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

In a study involving 48 families during COVID-19, it was found that grandparents maintained sensitivity during video chats with their infant grandchildren, which positively influenced the infants' emotional responses.

Grandparent sensitivity was the key factor predicting positive infant affect, regardless of whether the interaction was through video chat or in-person, highlighting the importance of emotional connection even in remote communication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Presence at a distance: Video chat supports intergenerational sensitivity and positive infant affect during COVID-19. Roche, E., Rocha-Hidalgo, J., Piper, D., et al.[2022]

A new educational program for grandparents was developed after weekly meetings with 400 participants, focusing on building family relationships and adjusting to their roles.

A field test is currently being conducted with several hundred participants to evaluate the effectiveness of this program in enhancing family development.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Grandparents and learning. Strom, R., Strom, S.[2017]

The study reviewed 36 publications to understand the acceptability and risks of video-based research in healthcare communication, providing a comprehensive synthesis of empirical research, regulations, and guidance.

The recommendations generated aim to enhance participant acceptability and manage risks in non-covert video-based studies, supporting ethical considerations in healthcare communication research.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Acceptability and design of video-based research on healthcare communication: Evidence and recommendations. Parry, R., Pino, M., Faull, C., et al.[2018]

In a study of 286 university students in Germany, face-to-face and phone communication were the most frequently used methods for maintaining relationships with grandparents, with 85% of participants engaging in these interactions at least a few times a year.

While non-digital communication methods were perceived as higher quality than digital ones, innovative technologies like augmented reality and social robots were met with skepticism regarding their effectiveness, despite participants having high expectations for their potential to enhance communication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Digital media in intergenerational communication: Status quo and future scenarios for the grandparent-grandchild relationship. Döring, N., Mikhailova, V., Brandenburg, K., et al.[2022]

This systematic review evaluated 21 grandparent-focused prevention programs over 31 years, highlighting that 13 programs showed feasibility and acceptability, while 8 programs demonstrated promising outcomes in randomized-controlled trials (RCTs).

The review identified six core components and 17 specific elements that contribute to the effectiveness of these programs, emphasizing the need for tailored programming to meet the unique needs of diverse grandparent caregivers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Evaluation of Prevention Programs for Grandparent Caregivers: a Systematic Review. Chan, ACY., Piehler, TF.[2023]

Grandchildren who experienced supportive communication (accommodative chatter) from their grandparents were more likely to engage positively in discussions about aging, which correlated with higher life satisfaction and lower depressive symptoms.

Disengaged-joking communicators, who had less supportive interactions, reported lower life satisfaction and greater loneliness, suggesting that the quality of intergenerational communication can significantly impact the well-being of grandchildren.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The Role of Grandchildren's Own Age-Related Communication and Accommodation From Grandparents in Predicting Grandchildren's Well-Being. Bernhold, QS., Giles, H.[2021]

The use of an educational video on an iPad significantly improved patients' knowledge about warfarin, with post-video test scores rising from a median of 10 to 12, indicating effective learning.

Patients reported high satisfaction with the iPad educational tool, and the study showed a 94.1% adherence rate to warfarin, suggesting that this method of education could enhance patient engagement and safety in managing their medication.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Impact of an electronic medium delivery of warfarin education in a low income, minority outpatient population: a pilot intervention study. Heinrich, K., Sanchez, K., Hui, C., et al.[2020]

A study involving 62 parents of children requiring procedural sedation in the emergency department found that those who watched an informational video had significantly higher knowledge scores (91.67) compared to those who received conventional information from physicians (73.33).

Parents who viewed the video also reported greater satisfaction with the informed consent process, suggesting that educational videos can enhance understanding and satisfaction for parents during pediatric procedures.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Parental Educational Intervention to Facilitate Informed Consent for Pediatric Procedural Sedation in the Emergency Department: A Parallel-Group Randomized Controlled Trial. Lin, YK., Yeh, YS., Chen, CW., et al.[2022]

Grandparents are increasingly important in raising their grandchildren, especially in families where the traditional nuclear family structure is less common.

The study of twelve grandparent-headed families highlighted the need for a multi-modal and intergenerational approach to effectively address therapeutic issues and improve treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Grandparent-headed families: new therapeutic challenges. O'Reilly, E., Morrison, ML.[2019]

In a study of 155 pediatric clinic visits, only 0.59% of observed behaviors indicated awareness of being recorded, suggesting minimal impact on communication during visits.

Younger children were more likely to show awareness of the camcorder, but overall, this awareness did not significantly affect the quality of communication or the perceived quality of the visits.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Audio-video recording of health care encounters for pediatric chronic conditions: observational reactivity and its correlates. Antal, H., Hossain, MJ., Hassink, S., et al.[2022]

The Intergenerational Grandparent-Grandchild Reminiscence Program, involving 12 grandchildren and their grandparents over 6 weeks, fostered stronger connections and engagement, allowing grandchildren to learn more about their grandparents' life experiences.

Participants faced challenges such as language barriers and the need for structured discussion strategies, but overall, the program showed promise in enhancing bonding and understanding between generations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Learning about Grandparents' Past Life: Reflections of Grandchildren in an Intergenerational Reminiscence Project for Asian American Families. Xu, L., Hagedorn, A., Raval, M.[2023]

A blended research-design approach was used to co-create multimedia informed consent prototypes for pediatric vaccine trials, which involved surveys and participatory design workshops with children and their families.

Participants found that the new multimedia prototypes communicated necessary information more effectively than traditional text documents, suggesting that this method could enhance understanding and engagement in clinical trials.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Improving Informed Consent for Novel Vaccine Research in a Pediatric Hospital Setting Using a Blended Research-Design Approach. Jackson, SM., Daverio, M., Perez, SL., et al.[2023]

The Grandparent Triple P intervention significantly improved grandparent-reported child behavior problems, parenting confidence, and reduced levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among grandparents, based on a study involving 54 grandparents and 48 parents.

Parents also observed significant reductions in child behavior problems, indicating that the benefits of the intervention extended beyond the grandparents to positively impact the entire family dynamic.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized controlled trial evaluating a parenting program designed specifically for grandparents. Kirby, JN., Sanders, MR.[2018]

A six-month multimodal intervention for grandparents raising grandchildren, which included home visits and support group meetings, led to significant improvements in mental health and reduced psychological distress.

Participants reported increased social support and better legal relationships with their grandchildren, along with enhanced access to public benefits, indicating the intervention's effectiveness in addressing both emotional and practical needs.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A multimodal intervention for grandparents raising grandchildren: results of an exploratory study. Kelley, SJ., Yorker, BC., Whitley, DM., et al.[2019]

A randomized clinical trial involving 343 custodial grandmothers showed that both behavioral parent training (BPT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) significantly reduced psychological distress and improved parenting practices compared to an information-only control group.

The interventions were effective in addressing the internalizing and externalizing difficulties of grandchildren aged 4 to 12, with effect sizes comparable to those seen in traditional parent interventions, indicating that these evidence-based approaches can be beneficial for custodial grandfamilies.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A randomized clinical trial of interventions for improving well-being in custodial grandfamilies. Smith, GC., Hayslip, B., Hancock, GR., et al.[2023]

Citations

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Structured Video Chats for Child-Grandparent Relationships The overall hypothesis is that structured video chat will increase children's engagement and joint attention (primary outcome measures), as well as grandparents ...

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Look at Grandma! Joint visual attention over video chat ... We observed naturalistic video chat interactions longitudinally from 50 triads (infant, co-viewing parent, remote grandmother).

4. news.lafayette.edu news.lafayette.edu/2024/08/13/grandparents-grandkids-and-zoom/

Grandparents, grandkids, and Zoom - News - Lafayette College Student-researchers partner with Prof. Lauren Myers to explore how structured video chats can help families defy distance and forge stronger ...

5. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9579672/

Effects of an Online Play-Based Parenting Program on ... Results. The intervention showed positive effects on child development, by improving language development (Cohen's d = 0.20, 95%CI 0.08–0.47) ...

6. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9509634/

The impact of interactive book sharing on child cognitive ... The primary outcomes were child language and socio-cognition; secondary outcomes were child executive function and parental scaffolding, ...

7. elp.georgetown.edu elp.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Strouse_McClure_Myers_Zosh-et-al_Zooming-through-development_HBET21.pdf

Using video chat to support family connections Abstract. Video chat may allow young children and grandparents to develop and maintain bonds when they are physically separated because it enables them to ...

8. digital.sandiego.edu digital.sandiego.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1088&context=honors_theses

Grandparent-Grandchild Virtual Communication Study While Video Play does include many great activities for distant relatives and kids to do together and create memories, there is no easy way to ...

9. reachoutandread.org reachoutandread.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/The-shared-reading-of-digital-storybooks-with-young-children-Parents-perspectives.pdf

The shared reading of digital storybooks with young children Our study investigated 22 Australian parents' perspectives of their 2–3-year- old child's experiences with digital devices and their views of ...