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Edwards RC, Hans SL. Young mother risk-taking moderates doula home visiting impacts on parenting and toddler social-emotional development. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:236-254. [PMID: 36524235 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422001158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This longitudinal randomized controlled trial examined the impact of a doula home visiting intervention for young, low-income mothers on parenting and toddler social-emotional development and tested whether intervention effects were moderated by maternal emotional and behavioral health characteristics. 156 mothers were offered home visits from a home visitor starting in mid-pregnancy through several years postpartum, with a community doula also working with the mother during pregnancy and after the birth. 156 received case management. Interviews, video recordings of mother-child interactions, and toddler assessments were conducted at 3 weeks, 3 months, 13 months, and 30 months of age. Intent-to-treat analyses conducted with the full sample showed some intervention effects. Moderation analyses, however, showed that most effects were concentrated among mothers engaged in high levels of risk-taking (delinquent behaviors, school suspensions, smoking, alcohol use, sexual risk-taking). Among higher risk-taking mothers, the intervention was related to less intrusiveness during early infancy, less psychological and physical aggression during toddlerhood, more sensitive parenting attitudes, and greater toddler social relatedness. Maternal depressive symptoms were only a moderator for toddler behavior problems. These findings suggest that doula home visiting may be a particularly effective model for enhancing sensitive, non-aggressive parenting among young mothers with a history of risk-taking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee C Edwards
- The University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, Chicago, IL60637, USA
| | - Sydney L Hans
- The University of Chicago, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, Chicago, IL60637, USA
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Tazza C, Ioverno S, Pallini S. Home-visiting programs based on the Brazelton approach: a scoping review. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:3469-3479. [PMID: 37285070 PMCID: PMC10460298 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-023-05048-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
This review maps and summarizes the quantitative studies on the main outcomes associated with home visiting (HV) programs using Brazelton methods aimed at supporting expectant and new parents. One hundred thirty-seven records were identified, and 19 records were selected. The design of our study was based on the methodological framework for conducting scoping reviews. Quality was assessed through the Jadad scale. Studies were coded for participant characteristics (number, mean age, and risk status), methodology (recruitment, home visit frequency, age of the child, Brazelton method, and research design), and intervention outcomes (on infants, parents, and home visitors). The studies mostly focused on the impact of Brazelton HV programs on infant development, the mother's psychological well-being, mother-infant interaction, and home visitor satisfaction. Experimental and quasi-experimental studies consistently have shown that parents receiving the intervention have greater knowledge of their children. Results are less conclusive regarding the intervention's impact on other domains of child development, mothers' psychological well-being, and mothers' sensitivity to the relationship with the child. Overall, the results suggest that the improvements associated with the intervention are mainly influenced by the risk status of families. Further research is needed to better understand the benefits of HV based on the Brazelton approach and the target population that may benefit most from this intervention. CONCLUSION Although the impact of the Brazelton home visiting intervention is not yet fully understood, there is promising evidence of its positive effects on child development, maternal well-being, and parental knowledge. Further research with consistent methodologies and larger sample sizes is needed to strengthen our understanding. However, existing findings in the literature underscore the importance of preventive interventions such as the Brazelton program in improving family well-being, with potential long-term benefits. WHAT IS KNOWN • Home visiting programs based on the Brazelton approach aim to increase parents' knowledge and sensitivity to their children. • There is no clear picture in the literature of the effectiveness of these programs. WHAT IS NEW • Existing studies consistently show the effectiveness of these programs to improve parents' knowledge of their children. • Findings on the impact of these programs on child development, mothers' psychological well-being and sensitivity to their child are inconclusive and may be influenced by the risk status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Tazza
- Department of Education, Roma Tre University, Via del Castro Pretorio 20, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Salvatore Ioverno
- Department of Education, Roma Tre University, Via del Castro Pretorio 20, Rome, 00185, Italy.
| | - Susanna Pallini
- Department of Education, Roma Tre University, Via del Castro Pretorio 20, Rome, 00185, Italy
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Rotheram-Borus MJ, le Roux KW, Norwood P, Stansert Katzen L, Snyman A, le Roux I, Dippenaar E, Tomlinson M. The effect of supervision on community health workers' effectiveness with households in rural South Africa: A cluster randomized controlled trial. PLoS Med 2023; 20:e1004170. [PMID: 36862754 PMCID: PMC9980736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community health workers (CHWs) can supplement professional medical providers, especially in rural settings where resources are particularly scarce. Yet, outcomes of studies evaluating CHWs effectiveness have been highly variable and lack impact when scaled nationally. This study examines if child and maternal outcomes are better when existing government CHWs, who are perinatal home visitors, receive ongoing enhanced supervision and monitoring, compared to standard care. METHODS AND FINDINGS A cluster randomized controlled effectiveness trial was conducted comparing outcomes over 2 years when different supervision and support are provided. Primary health clinics were randomized by clinic to receive monitoring and supervision from either (1) existing supervisors (Standard Care (SC); n = 4 clinics, 23 CHWs, 392 mothers); or (2) supervisors from a nongovernmental organization that provided enhanced monitoring and supervision (Accountable Care [AC]; n = 4 clinic areas, 20 CHWs, 423 mothers). Assessments were conducted during pregnancy and at 3, 6, 15, and 24 months post-birth with high retention rates (76% to 86%). The primary outcome was the number of statistically significant intervention effects among 13 outcomes of interest; this approach allowed us to evaluate the intervention holistically while accounting for correlation among the 13 outcomes and considering multiple comparisons. The observed benefits were not statistically significant and did not show the AC's efficacy over the SC. Only the antiretroviral (ARV) adherence effect met the significance threshold established a priori (SC mean 2.3, AC mean 2.9, p < 0.025; 95% CI = [0.157, 1.576]). However, for 11 of the 13 outcomes, we observed an improvement in the AC compared to the SC. While the observed outcomes were not statistically significant, benefits were observed for 4 outcomes: increasing breastfeeding for 6 months, reducing malnutrition, increasing ARV adherence, and improving developmental milestones. The major study limitation was utilizing existing CHWs and being limited to a sample of 8 clinics. There were no major study-related adverse events. CONCLUSIONS Supervision and monitoring were insufficient to improve CHWs' impact on maternal and child outcomes. Alternative strategies for staff recruitment and narrowing the intervention outcomes to the specific local community problems are needed for consistently high impact. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02957799.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Jane Rotheram-Borus
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, University of CA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Karl W. le Roux
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Dept. of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
- Dept. of Family Medicine, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, South Africa
- Primary Health Care Directorate, Old Main Building, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- Zithulele Training and Research Centre, Zithulele Hospital, Mqanduli District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Peter Norwood
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Semel Institute, University of CA, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Linnea Stansert Katzen
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Dept. of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
| | - Andre Snyman
- Zithulele Training and Research Centre, Zithulele Hospital, Mqanduli District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Ingrid le Roux
- Philani Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Trust, Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Elaine Dippenaar
- Zithulele Training and Research Centre, Zithulele Hospital, Mqanduli District, Eastern Cape, South Africa
| | - Mark Tomlinson
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Dept. of Global Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, United Kingdom
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Cruz TH, Woelk L, Vitanzos Cervantes IC, Kaminsky A. Barriers to and Systems Solutions for Increasing Early Childhood Home Visiting Referrals by Health Care Providers Serving Urban and Rural Communities. FAMILY & COMMUNITY HEALTH 2023; 46:69-78. [PMID: 36073894 DOI: 10.1097/fch.0000000000000343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Early childhood home visiting (ECHV) is an evidence-based prevention strategy that directly impacts maternal and child health by mitigating the poor outcomes associated with socioeconomic disadvantage and adverse childhood experiences that disproportionately affect marginalized populations. Despite its promise, health care providers in many communities do not routinely refer patients to these services. This qualitative study examined barriers to health care providers' referrals to ECHV services and identified systems-level strategies to overcome those barriers through semistructured interviews with 37 health care providers in New Mexico. Most participants were pediatricians or family practice physicians working in hospitals or community-based primary care settings, and the majority served rural communities. Barriers included insufficient knowledge about ECHV programs; lack of trust of program providers; time constraints; concerns about available funding; lack of a standardized referral process; and concerns about stigma and messaging. Five systems-level recommendations were developed to improve practice: (1) educating health care providers; (2) developing messaging prompts for providers to use when talking with patients about ECHV; (3) increasing engagement among providers and ECHV programs; (4) standardizing referral systems within practices; and (5) promoting universal referrals. Additional research is ongoing to determine the degree to which these health promotion strategies increase referrals and participation in ECHV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa H Cruz
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Dr Cruz and Ms Woelk); National Network of Public Health Institutes, Washington, District of Columbia (Dr Vitanzos Cervantes); and Cradle to Career Policy Institute, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Dr Kaminsky)
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Buka SL, Beers LS, Biel MG, Counts NZ, Hudziak J, Parade SH, Paris R, Seifer R, Drury SS. The Family is the Patient: Promoting Early Childhood Mental Health in Pediatric Care. Pediatrics 2022; 149:186907. [PMID: 35503309 PMCID: PMC9847420 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-053509l] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Advances in developmental psychology, child psychiatry, and allied disciplines have pointed to events and experiences in the early years as the origin of many adult mental health challenges. Yet, children's mental health services still largely lack a developmental or prevention-focused orientation, with most referrals to mental health professionals occurring late, once problems are well established. An early childhood mental health system rooted in the principles of life-course health development would take a very different approach to designing, testing, and implementing prevention and intervention strategies directed toward early child mental health. Priorities for such a system include supporting healthy family environments, parent-child and family relationships, parents' emotional/behavioral health, and family routines as a means of providing the best possible neurobiological foundation for mental health across the life span. The system would include proactive, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary care, with integrated mental health and social services support embedded in pediatric primary care settings. Novel intervention approaches in need of further research include 2-generational dyadic interventions designed to improve the mental health of parents and children, mental health-oriented telemedicine, and contingency management (CM) strategies. Integral to this Life Course Health Development reformulation is a commitment by all organizations supporting children to primordial and primary prevention strategies to reduce racial and socioeconomic disparities in all settings. We contend that it is the family, not the individual child, that ought to be the identified target of these redesigned approaches, delivered through a transformed pediatric system with anticipated benefits for multiple health outcomes across the life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen L. Buka
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island,Address correspondence to Stephen Buka, ScD, Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main St, Providence, RI 02912. E-mail:
| | - Lee S. Beers
- Children’s National Hospital, Washington, District of Columbia,Child Health Advocacy Institute, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Matthew G. Biel
- Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia
| | - Nathaniel Z. Counts
- Mental Health America, Alexandria, Virginia,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, The Bronx, New York
| | - James Hudziak
- Division of Child Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth, and Families, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Stephanie H. Parade
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island,Bradley/Hasbro Children’s Research Center, Bradley Hospital, East Providence, Rhode Island
| | - Ruth Paris
- Boston University School of Social Work, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ronald Seifer
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Stacy S. Drury
- Departments of Psychiatry,Pediatrics, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana,Children’s Hospital New Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana
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Zaid S, Sparr M, Peplinski K, Denmark N, Curtin PG. Using a Developmental Approach to Evaluation Capacity Building in Home Visiting. EVALUATION REVIEW 2022; 46:58-73. [PMID: 33595355 DOI: 10.1177/0193841x21992196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, administered by the Health Resources and Service Administration in collaboration with the Administration for Children and Families, provides evidence-based home visiting services across 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories. MIECHV invests in comprehensive technical assistance (TA) to support and build the capacity of awardees to conduct rigorous evaluations of their programs. Throughout the course of the evaluation process, awardees received TA from the Design Options for Home Visiting Evaluation project. Between 2011 and 2020, over 173 state-led evaluations have been conducted. Individual technical assistance (TA) modalities included conference calls, emails, interactive and individualized webinars, developing and sharing resources, and involvement of content experts. When issues and challenges were identified across multiple awardees, Design Options for Home Visiting Evaluation (DOHVE) delivered targeted group TA to awardees with common needs that may benefit from peer-to-peer learning. When cross-cutting issues and challenges were identified, DOHVE used universal approaches such as webinars and guidance documents that were made available to all awardees.Through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) program, efforts have been taken to promote awardee capacity by targeting all phases of the evaluation process, including planning, implementing, and disseminating findings and providing TA that is responsive and tailored to meet awardee-specific needs. This approach enabled DOHVE to support MIECHV awardees in expanding knowledge of their programs and the evidence base on home visiting. Lessons learned from TA provision highlight the importance of developing feasible plans and providing ongoing support during implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan Zaid
- 49330James Bell Associates, Arlington, VA, USA
| | | | - Kyle Peplinski
- Division of Home Visiting and Early Childhood Systems, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, 17225Health Resources and Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Nicole Denmark
- Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 17222Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Pooja Gupta Curtin
- Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, 17222Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, DC, USA
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Mersky JP, Lee CP. Adverse childhood experiences and poor birth outcomes in a diverse, low-income sample. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2019; 19:387. [PMID: 31660899 PMCID: PMC6819344 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-019-2560-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adverse childhood experiences (ACE) are associated with an array of health consequences in later life, but few studies have examined the effects of ACEs on women's birth outcomes. METHODS We analyzed data gathered from a sample of 1848 low-income women who received services from home visiting programs in Wisconsin. Archival program records from a public health database were used to create three birth outcomes reflecting each participant's reproductive health history: any pregnancy loss; any preterm birth; any low birthweight. Multivariate logistic regressions were performed to test the linear and non-linear effects of ACEs on birth outcomes, controlling for age, race/ethnicity, and education. RESULTS Descriptive analyses showed that 84.4% of women had at least one ACE, and that 68.2% reported multiple ACEs. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that cumulative ACE scores were associated with an increased likelihood of pregnancy loss (OR = 1.12; 95% CI = 1.08-1.17), preterm birth (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 1.01-1.12), and low birthweight (OR = 1.08; 95% CI = 1.03-1.15). Additional analyses revealed that the ACE-birthweight association deviated from a linear, dose-response pattern. CONCLUSIONS Findings confirmed that high levels of childhood adversity are associated with poor birth outcomes. Alongside additive risk models, future ACE research should test interactive risk models and causal mechanisms through which childhood adversity compromises reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua P Mersky
- Institute for Child and Family Well-being, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2400 E. Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA.
| | - ChienTi Plummer Lee
- Institute for Child and Family Well-being, Helen Bader School of Social Welfare, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 2400 E. Hartford Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
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