Peer-reviewed article
Evaluating the spillover effects of the Sugira Muryango home-visiting intervention on temperament of children aged (0.3–3years) exposed to domestic violence: A cluster randomized controlled trial
Thèodat Siboyintore, Jeanne Marie Ntete, Jean Mutabaruka, Theresa Stichick Betancourt, Sarah K. G. Jensen et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study evaluated whether the Sugira Muryango home-visiting program in Rwanda had indirect effects on the temperament of younger siblings of enrolled children, particularly those exposed to domestic violence. The program aims to improve caregiving practices and family dynamics through home visits. The study found no significant differences in temperament traits between children whose families received the intervention and those under usual care, suggesting limited spillover effects.
Key points
- No statistically significant differences were found in surgency, negative emotionality, or orienting capacity between intervention and control groups
- The intervention was primarily designed to improve broader family dynamics rather than directly impact child temperament
- The study examined 247 younger siblings of children enrolled in the Sugira Muryango Program
- Findings suggest the importance of direct intervention strategies aimed explicitly at target child populations
- External factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced intervention effectiveness
Limitations
This study measured only spillover effects on younger siblings rather than direct effects on primary intervention recipients, which may explain the null findings. The study cannot determine whether the intervention was effective for its primary target or what outcomes it did improve.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and violence against children and women adversely affect children's well-being. The Sugira Muryango Program (SM) in Rwanda, a home-visiting intervention, aimed to to improve caregiving practices and family dynamics, may also have potential indirect effects on children's temperament. OBJECTIVES: This study assesses the impact of SM on the temperament of younger children whose families benefited from the intervention, comparing their temperament with those under usual care. METHODS: This study utilized a spillover effect cohort design, focusing on 247 younger siblings of children enrolled in the Sugira Muryango Program (SM) to assess potential spillover effects of the intervention. The temperament of these siblings was measured using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire-Revised Short Form, which was translated into native language of the respondents. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using SPSS version 29, with the treatment group (SM vs. UC) as the main predictor and temperament as the dependent variable. RESULTS: The analysis showed no statistically significant differences in key temperament traits such as surgency, negative emotionality, and orienting capacity between the intervention and control groups. The findings indicated that changes in surgency (B = 1.984, t = 1.183, p = 0.24), negative emotionality (B = -1.657, t = -0.915, p = 0.36), and orienting capacity (B = 0.551, t = 0.313, p = 0.75) were not significant. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that SM had limited spillover effects on the temperament traits of younger siblings. Given that the intervention was primarily designed to improve broader family dynamics rather than directly impact child temperament, these findings highlight the importance of focusing on direct intervention strategies aimed explicitly at the target child population. Future research should align with the theory of change by examining caregiver-related outcomes, such as parenting practices and mental health, which may influence child temperament. Additionally, considering potential external factors like the COVID-19 pandemic may have influenced the effectiveness of the intervention.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Sugira Muryango Program (SM), a home-visiting intervention designed to improve caregiving practices and family dynamics
- Population
- 247 younger siblings (aged 0.3-3 years) of children enrolled in the Sugira Muryango Program in Rwanda, including those exposed to domestic violence
Key finding
No significant difference in surgency between SM and usual care groups (B = 1.984, p = 0.24)
Siboyintore et al. · Prof. Theresa S. Betancourt (OpenAlex works) · 31 Mar 2025