Jacobs, F., Easterbrooks, M. A., Goldberg, J., Mistry, J., Bumgarner, E., Raskin, M., Fosse, N., & Fauth, R. (2015). Improving adolescent parenting: Results from a randomized controlled trial of a home visiting program for young families. American Journal of Public Health, published online ahead of print, e1-e7.
Model(s) Reviewed:
Healthy Families America (HFA)®
| Screening decision | Screening conclusion | HomVEE procedures and standards version |
|---|---|---|
| Passes screens | Eligible for review | Version 1 |
| Rating | Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Compromised randomization | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measure(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Randomized controlled trial | Low | Baseline equivalence is not established on race/ethnicity, SES, or baseline measures of the outcomes; some outcomes were not feasible to assess at baseline. | None | None | Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed before 2021 |
Notes:
In addition to the outcomes that rated moderate, several outcomes in this study rated low: corporal punishment at 1 and 2 years, parenting stress measures at 1 and 2 years, healthy baby, child behavior problems, high school diploma or equivalent at 1 year, completed at least 1 year of college at 1 year, employment at 1 and 2 years, use of hormonal birth control at 1 and 2 years, use of condoms at 1 and 2 years, engagement in risky behavior, marijuana use, intimate partner violence (self-perpetrated) at 1 and 2 years, and intimate partner violence (perpetrated by partner) at 1 and 2 years. These outcomes rated low because they had high attrition and baseline equivalence was not established on race/ethnicity or SES. Information on attrition and baseline equivalence was based on correspondence with the author.
| Study participants | This is a randomized controlled trial that randomly assigned 837 women to the Healthy Families Massachusetts (HFM) program or to a control group. From the 837 randomized women, 704 mothers (517 treatment, 320 control) were recruited and completed the initial (baseline) interview and/or allowed access to administrative data. Participants were from 18 HFM sites, female, at least 16 years old, conversant in English or Spanish, new to HFM, and able to provide informed consent. Based on HFM enrollment criteria, mothers also had to be first-time parents under age 21 who enrolled while they were pregnant or during the child's first year. The full baseline sample of 704 mothers was 37 percent white non-Hispanic, 19 percent black non-Hispanic, 36 percent Hispanic, and 8 percent other; 74 percent preferred speaking in English only, 20 percent preferred English and another language, and 6 percent preferred Spanish only. Before enrollment, mothers were 19 years old, on average, and 19 percent received cash assistance, 17 percent received food assistance, 35 percent were parenting, and 4 percent had been previously reported for child maltreatment. |
|---|---|
| Setting | 18 sites in Massachusetts. |
| Intervention services | Home visiting services were offered from pregnancy through the child's third birthday. Visits were offered biweekly during pregnancy, weekly for at least six months following the baby's birth, and then less frequently. Home visiting services included setting goals, curriculum-based activities, family support, routine developmental and health screenings, and linkages to medical and other needed services.On average, mothers received 24 home visits (SD = 26.4, median = 14) over an average of 14.7 months (SD = 12.8, median = 9.8). |
| Comparison conditions | The control group received information about child development and referrals to other services. |
| Subgroups examined |
This field lists subgroups examined in the manuscript (even if they were not replicated in other samples and not reported on the summary page for this model’s report). Subgroups are not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021. |
| Funding sources | The Massachusetts Children’s Trust and the Pew Center for States funded this research. |
| Author affiliation | All authors are affiliated with the Tufts University Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study and Human Development, with the exception of Dr. Bumgarner, who is affiliated with Abt Associates. |
| Peer reviewed | Peer reviewed status is not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021. |
Study Registration:
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01926223. Study registration was assessed by HomVEE beginning with the 2014 review.
Findings that rate moderate or high
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Completed at least 1 year of college - 2 years | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
MA sample | 2 years post enrollment | 604 mothers | Not reported | Not reported | OR = 1.92 | HomVEE calculated = 0.39 | Statistically significant, p < 0.01 | |
| Moderate | High school diploma or equivalent - 2 years | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
MA sample | 2 years post enrollment | 604 mothers | Not reported | Not reported | OR = 0.87 | HomVEE calculated = -0.08 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.52 |
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Repeated birth | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
MA sample | 2 years post enrollment | 612 mothers | Not reported | Not reported | OR = 0.73 | HomVEE calculated = -0.19 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.161 | The HomVEE-calculated p-value of the effect size is statistically significant (p=0.02)
|
| Rating | Outcome measure | Effect | Sample | Timing of follow-up | Sample size | Intervention group | Comparison group | Group difference | Effect size | Statistical significance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moderate | Substantiated maltreatment (administrative data) | FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect |
MA sample | within 27 months post-enrollment | 690 children | Not reported | Not reported | OR = 0.88 | HomVEE calculated = -0.08 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.59 |