Primary preventive programs for risk behavior: Results from a study in high poverty areas of Mexico

Introduction: Violence is a phenomenon involving the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors. Several studies have developed programs to prevent the occurrence of these behaviors in children, adolescents and adults. When these programs focus on mothers of young children, not only is there an improvement of child cognitive, emotional and social development, but also the whole family benefits from it. Objective: To assess the effects of the Programa de Entrenamiento Materno Infantil: Enfoque Neuropsicológico (PREMIEN) in maternal parenting style behaviors and its impact on the development of executive functions in preschool children. Methods: A descriptive, prospective, correlational study was conducted using a convenience sample that included 40 dyads of mothers and their children between 3 and 6 years old. A control group of 43 children whose mothers did not attend the PREMIEN intervention was paired to the PREMIEN sample in order to compare results at post test assessment. The PREMIEN program was implemented and it provides strategies to the mothers so as to promote physical, cognitive and emotional development of their children. A pre and post assessment of children's perception of parental style of his mother and the development of executive functions was performed. Results: There were changes in perception of parenting style by children at post test and with the control group. There was also an increase in their scores on tasks of executive functions at post test and compared to a control group. Conclusions: Educational interventions that provide mothers with strategies and knowledge regarding the cognitive and emotional development of their preschool children, have an impact on mother–child relationship, promoting interpersonal affective behavior and mother responsiveness to the needs of their children and they also promote the development of self-control and regulation of children, which allow them a functional social adjustment, thus preventing the onset of antisocial behavior.