Manuscript Details

Mitchell-Herzfeld, S., Izzo, C., Greene, R., Lee, E., & Lowenfels, A. (2005). Evaluation of Healthy Families New York (HFNY): First year program impacts. Albany, NY: University at Albany, Center for Human Services Research.

Moderate rating
Study reviewed under: Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
Design Attrition Baseline equivalence Confounding factors? Valid, reliable measures?
Randomized controlled trial High

Established on race/ethnicity, SES, and feasible outcomes. Statistical controls for feasible baseline outcomes included.

None

Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1
Notes from the review of this manuscript

In 2020, HomVEE updated this review to move "Mother has health insurance" from the Maternal Health domain to the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency domain because ACF determined that health insurance coverage belongs in that domain. 

In 2020, HomVEE updated this review to move "Child has health insurance" from the Child Health domain to the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency domain because ACF determined that health insurance coverage belongs in that domain. 

Attrition rating is based on overall sample sizes because sample sizes for treatment and control groups were unavailable.

Child Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Child ever without needed medical care Year 1 Moderate
0.28 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 children Full sample, NY Trial
Child has primary care provider Year 1 Moderate
0.08 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 children Full sample, NY Trial
Mother breastfed baby Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Number of months breastfed Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Number of well-baby visits Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 children Full sample, NY Trial
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Family Economic Self-Sufficiency
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Child has health insurance Year 1 Moderate
0.30 Statistically significant,p < 0.05 1061 children Full sample, NY Trial
Education appropriate for age Year 1 Moderate
0.07 Not statistically significant,p > 0.05 1061 families Full sample, NY trial
Family received TANF Year 1 Moderate
0.13 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 families Full sample, NY trial
Family received WIC Year 1 Moderate
0.08 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 families Full sample, NY trial
Family received 50% income from work Year 1 Moderate
0.13 Not statistically significant,p > 0.05 1061 families Full sample, NY trial
Mother employed Year 1 Moderate
0.17 Statistically significant,p < 0.05 1061 families Full sample, NY trial
Mother has health insurance Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Maternal Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Above alcohol abuse cutoff (AUDIT) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Above depression threshold (CES-D) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Alcohol abuse (AUDIT) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Depressive symptoms (CES-D) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Drug use Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Mother has primary care physician Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Sense of personal mastery (PSM) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Smoking Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Smoking frequency Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 mothers Full sample, NY Trial
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Positive Parenting Practices
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Attitudes: Empathy (AAPI-2) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Attitudes: Inappropriate expectations (AAPI-2) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Attitudes: Physical punishment (AAPI-2) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Attitudes: Power/independence (AAPI-2) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Attitudes: Role reversal (AAPI-2) Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Child safety checklist Year 1 Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1060 mothers Full sample, NY trial
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Reductions In Child Maltreatment
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
ER visits due to injury or ingestion Year 1 Moderate
0.31 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 1061 children Full sample, NY Trial
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant

This study included participants with the following characteristics at enrollment:

Race/Ethnicity

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if Hispanic ethnicity was reported separately or respondents could select two or more race or ethnicity categories.

Black or African American
42%
Hispanic or Latino
17%
White
34%
Some other race
7%

Maternal Education

Less than a high school diploma
52%
High school diploma or GED
26%
Some college or Associate's degree
22%

Other Characteristics

Enrollment in means-tested programs
32%

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • New York
Study Participants

Recruitment for the randomized controlled trial of Healthy Families New York (HFNY) occurred between March 2000 and August 2001. Pregnant women or parents with an infant 3 months of age or less who were found to be at risk for child abuse or neglect and lived in communities with high rates of teen pregnancy, infant mortality, and welfare receipt, and low rates of prenatal care were referred to HFNY. Consenting families were screened using the Kempe Family Stress Checklist (FSC); 1,297 eligible families who received scores of 25 or higher on the FSC were randomly assigned to the program group (n = 647) or the comparison group (n = 650). 1,157 mothers completed a baseline interview (589 in the program group and 568 in the comparison group). Of those who completed baseline interviews, 41.9% were African American, 17.0% were Latina, 33.7% were White, and the remaining 7.3% were of another race or ethnicity. On average, the mothers were 22.4 years of age, 52.3% had not completed high school or a GED , and 32.4% of the families were receiving welfare. This study reports on the first-year program impacts of HFNY, using a sample of 1,060 families who completed the first follow-up interview.

Setting

Three Healthy Families New York sites were included in the study: Erie, Rensselaer, and Ulster counties. Erie serves primarily African American and Latino families in inner-city neighborhoods in Buffalo. Rensselaer and Ulster counties include urban, suburban, and rural locations; both serve largely White families, but with a substantial African American population in Rensselaer and Latino population in Ulster.

Intervention condition
Comparison Conditions

Members of the control group received information about and referrals to other community services, though they were not referred to home visiting services that were similar to HFNY (DuMont et al., 2008).

Subgroups examined

• Parity (primiparous) • Maternal age (less than 18 years or 18 and older) • Maternal depression (low, moderate, or high based on screening) • Intimate partner violence (reported violence in year prior to enrollment or did not report violence) • Mother reports being victim of maltreatment during own childhood (yes or no)

Author Affiliation

None of the study authors are developers of this model.

Funding Sources

New York State Office of Children and Families Services, Bureau of Evaluation and Research