Efficacy of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program on 0–12 year-old Quebec children's behavior

•This evaluation of the Triple P program used an active comparison group and considered the intervention dose.•Triple P reduced children's externalizing behaviors, improved prosocial behavior, and reduced emotional symptoms.•Except for children's emotional symptoms, care as usual was less effective than Triple P.•Positive changes observed at post-test in the Triple P group were maintained over time, 2–4 years later. This study evaluates the impact of the Triple P parenting support program (Primary Care and Group) on 0–12 year-old Quebec children's behavior. A quasi-experimental pretest – post-test design with an active care-as-usual comparison group was used examine program effects. A sample of 384 parents divided into two groups (n Triple P = 291; n comparison = 93) responded to four subscales of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire: emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and prosocial behaviors. The dose of intervention received by each parent in terms of number of sessions was considered in the analyses. Results indicated that parents in the Triple P group reported larger improvements than parents in the comparison group with respect to conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, and prosocial behavior. Both groups reported similar moderate improvements on emotional symptoms. Intervention dose did not contribute to explaining these differences, beyond the nature of the intervention (Triple P vs care as usual). A follow-up of parents in the Triple P group two to four years after the end of the program (n follow-up = 164) suggested that the effects of Triple P are maintained over time. These results help to broaden the evidence base on the efficacy of this program in a sociocultural and linguistic context different from that in which it was developed.