Black or African American
17.00%
Source
Barth, R. P. (1991). An experimental evaluation of in-home child abuse prevention services. Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal, 15(4), 363-75.
Model(s) Reviewed
Funding Sources
Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Human Development Services, Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, Grants 90-CA-0988 and 90-PJ-000101. Bio-Medical Research Support Grant, Grant 2-507-RR07006. National Institute of Health, Division of Research, State of California Office of Child Abuse Prevention, Grant CB 33015-AI.
Study Design
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | Not applicable | Established on race and socioeconomic status | None |
Notes
Mothers in the CPEP group who refused services or received fewer than five home visits were reassigned to the control group. Thus, we treat the study as a quasi-experimental design for purposes of the review, and an evaluation of attrition does not apply. The moderate rating applies to outcomes that were not assessable at baseline (health habits during pregnancy, child health, child development, and reductions in child maltreatment); those outcomes that could be measured at baseline (parent well-being and parent support) but were not controlled in the analysis receive a low rating.
Study Participants
Expectant mothers deemed at-risk for child abuse were referred to the study team by service providers in public health, education, and social services. Eligible mothers who expressed interest in the program were randomly assigned to either CPEP or a no-treatment control group. Random assignment occurred before the formal initial assessment interview by the CPEP team. Mothers in the CPEP group who refused services or received fewer than five home visits were reassigned to the control group. The analysis sample for the study included 97 mothers in the CPEP group and 94 mothers in the control group. The ethnic composition of the combined groups was 45 percent Caucasian, 17 percent African American, 31 percent Hispanic, and 7 percent of other or multiple races. Four in 10 mothers in the sample were on Aid to Families with Dependent Children, and 70 percent had incomes of less than $10,000. On average, mothers were 5.7 months pregnant when they began the program; 56 percent had at least one additional child at enrollment.
Setting
The study was conducted in Contra Costa County, California.
Home Visiting Services
CPEP clients received on average 11 home visits over the course of the six-month study, with a range of 5 to 20 visits. Paraprofessionals, known as parenting consultants, administered the intervention. Home visits were centered around task lists created by mothers in conjunction with the parenting consultant. Tasks might be completed by the mother alone, the parenting consultant alone, or together. Examples of tasks include visiting prenatal care or obtaining transportation.
Comparison Conditions
Control group mothers received referrals to appropriate social and health services identified by the two-hour assessment interview.
Findings that rate moderate or high in this manuscript
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eat bad | 6 months | Moderate | -0.06 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Eat right | 6 months | Moderate | 0.04 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Prenatal care | 6 months | Moderate | 0.05 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Pregnancy problems | 6 months | Moderate | 0.12 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Hospital stay | 6 months | Moderate | -0.33 | Statistically significant, p = 0.02 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Discomfort (birth outcome) | 6 months | Moderate | -0.14 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Worries (birth outcome) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.12 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birthweight (grams) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.21 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Health (child welfare) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.06 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Emergency (child welfare) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.00 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Baby care (child welfare) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.09 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Activity (ITQ subscale) | 6 months | Moderate | -0.23 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Mood (ITQ subscale) | 6 months | Moderate | -0.39 | Statistically significant, p = 0.01 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Distractibility (ITQ subscale) | 6 months | Moderate | -0.07 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Need care (child welfare) | 6 months | Moderate | 0.07 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 191 mothers | Reassigned sample |
This study included participants with the following characteristics at enrollment:
Race/Ethnicity
Maternal Education
Other Characteristics
This study included participants from the following locations:
- California