Programmatic approaches to assessment provide purposeful and meaningful assessment yet few examples of their development exist. The aim of this study was to describe the development of a programme of assessment using a participatory action research (PAR) approach. Nine work-based assessors together with three academics met on six occasions to explore the current approach to competency-based assessment in the placement component of a dietetics university course, the findings of which were used to design a programme of assessment. Findings revealed disconnect between current assessment approaches and best practice. The PAR methodology fostered a shared vision for the design of a programmatic approach to assessment and strong leadership was essential. Participants experienced a philosophical shift in their views towards assessment, supporting the implementation of a new assessment programme. This paper is the first to describe a PAR approach as a feasible and effective way forward in the design of programmatic assessment. The approach engaged stakeholders to strengthen their abilities as work-based assessors and produced champions for best practice assessment.

Introduction and Aim. Given the likelihood of engaging in the hazardous use of tobacco and alcohol increases during teenage years, pre‐adolescence is a critical time to implement prevention programmes. While social factors other than those associated with parenting play a role in determining a child's risk for initiation of tobacco and alcohol use, parents can have a significant influence on their children's decisions about these issues. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of an in‐home parent‐directed drug education intervention on parent – child communication about tobacco and alcohol. Design and Methods. A group randomised intervention trial was conducted in Perth, Western Australia. Schools were selected using stratified random sampling and randomised to three study conditions. A total of 1201 parents of 10–11‐year‐old children were recruited from 20 schools. The impact of a self‐help intervention, comprised of five communication sheets containing information and activities designed to encourage parents to talk with their 10–11‐year‐old child about issues related to smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, was assessed. Results. Intervention‐group parents were more likely to have spoken with their children, to have spoken more recently, to have engaged the child during the discussion and to have addressed the topics identified as being protective of children's involvement in tobacco and alcohol. In addition, the duration of talks about alcohol was longer than for parents in the comparison group. Discussion and Conclusions. Parents of 10–11‐year‐old children appear to be receptive to participating in a home‐based drug‐related educational intervention and the parent‐directed intervention seems to have enhanced parent – child tobacco‐ and alcohol‐related communication.

Effect of Prenatal Zinc Supplementation on Birthweight

Parents can significantly affect children's peer relationships, including their involvement in bullying. The authors developed and evaluated ways to enhance parents’ knowledge, self-efficacy, attitudes, and skills related to parent–child communication about bullying. The 3-year Friendly Schools Friendly Families whole-school intervention included a family component, which provided training and resources to support school teams to engage families in awareness-raising and skill-building activities. Over 3,200 parents of the Grade 2, 4, and 6 cohorts were recruited. For the Grade 2 and 4 cohorts at both 10 and 22 months postintervention, the family component increased parents’ self-efficacy to talk about bullying with their children and their frequency of doing so. Grade 4 parents reported more provictim attitudes at 22 months. No differences were found for the Grade 6 cohort. These data suggest a whole-school capacity-building intervention in early and middle childhood can improve the likelihood and frequency of positive parent–child communication about bullying.