Indigenous population
25%
Fergusson, D. M., Horwood, L. J., Grant, H., & Ridder, E. M. (2005). Early start evaluation report. Christchurch, NZ: Early Start Project Ltd.
Additional Source(s)
Fergusson, D. M., Grant, H., Horwood, L. J., & Ridder, E. M. (2005). Randomized trial of the Early Start program of home visitation. Pediatrics, 116(6), e803-e809.
View manuscriptFergusson, D. M., Grant, H., Horwood, L. J., & Ridder, E. M. (2006). Randomized trial of the Early Start program of home visitation: Parent and family outcomes. Pediatrics, 117(3), 781-786. doi:10.1542/peds.2005-1517
View manuscriptScreening Conclusion
Eligible for review
Model(s) Reviewed
Funding Sources
Major funders are The Department of Child, Youth, and Family, Ministry of Health, Canterbury District Health Board, Christchurch City Council, Trustbank Community Trust and Health Research Council of New Zealand. Hyman Marks Trust, Mayor’s Welfare Fund, McKenzie Trust, Telecom New Zealand and UMC Ltd. provided other financial and non-financial support.
Study Design
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | High | Established on race/ethnicity, SES, and outcomes |
None |
Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1 |
Notes
All findings from the peer-reviewed journal article that is cited as an additional source were included in the review of the Early start evaluation report. Both manuscripts report an intersecting set of findings, while the Early start evaluation report contains additional findings not included in the peer-reviewed article. Several maternal outcomes describing employment, hardship factors, contraceptive use, and stressful life events received a low rating because they were assessable at baseline but were not assessed.
In 2020, HomVEE updated this review in three ways. First, HomVEE removed mother's partnership status/family structure findings from the Family Economic Self-Sufficiency domain because ACF determined that mother's partnership status is ineligible for review by HomVEE. Second, HomVEE removed the finding "percent parental report of agency contact for abuse/neglect" from the Reductions in Child Maltreatment domain because some cases measured may be unsubstantiated. In this domain, HomVEE reviews only outcomes focused on substantiated cases of abuse and neglect. Finally, HomVEE clarified that the direction for the finding on duration of attendance for early childhood education is ambiguous, rather than favorable.
Findings that rate moderate or high in this manuscript
Child Development and School Readiness
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early childhood education, duration of attendance (months) | 36 months | Moderate | 0.22 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Ever attended early childhood education | 36 months | Moderate | 0.19 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA), Total behavior score | 36 months | Moderate | 0.24 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA), Total externalizing score | 36 months | Moderate | 0.19 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (ITSEA), Total internalizing score | 36 months | Moderate | 0.26 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Performance IQ score | 36 months | Moderate | 0.08 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 367 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Total IQ | 36 months | Moderate | 0.07 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 367 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI), Verbal IQ score | 36 months | Moderate | 0.04 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 367 children | Christchurch sample |
Child Health
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of home safety features | 36 months | Moderate | 0.17 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Number of visits made to family doctor in past 36 months | 36 months | Moderate | 0.24 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent attended hospital for any other reason | 36 months | Moderate | 0.13 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 382 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent breastfed for six months or more | 36 months | Moderate | 0.05 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent of children up to date with immunizations | 36 months | Moderate | 0.24 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent of children up to date with well-child checks | 36 months | Moderate | 0.24 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent with dental service | 36 months | Moderate | 0.20 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample |
Family Economic Self-Sufficiency
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean amount of debt | 36 months | Moderate | 0.04 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample | ||
| Mean family income per week | 36 months | Moderate | 0.08 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent income inadequate/very inadequate | 36 months | Moderate | 0.09 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent welfare dependent | 36 months | Moderate | 0.10 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample |
Maternal Health
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Percent any family/social relationship problem | 36 months | Moderate | 0.04 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent ever pregnant to 36 months | 36 months | Moderate | 0.09 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 mothers | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent major depression | 36 months | Moderate | 0.02 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 mothers | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent mother smoked cigarettes | 36 months | Moderate | 0.09 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 mothers | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent substance use problems | 36 months | Moderate | 0.11 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 mothers | Christchurch sample |
Positive Parenting Practices
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-punitive attitudes (adapted from Child Rearing Practices Report and Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory) | 36 months | Moderate | 0.22 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Percent smoke-free home/smoke-free area | 36 months | Moderate | 0.02 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Positive parenting attitude (adapted from Child Rearing Practices Report and Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory) | 36 months | Moderate | 0.26 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Total parenting score (adapted from Child Rearing Practices Report and Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory) | 36 months | Moderate | 0.27 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 391 children | Christchurch sample |
Reductions In Child Maltreatment
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attended hospital for accident/injury or accidental poisoning | 36 months | Moderate | 0.22 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 382 children | Christchurch sample | ||
| Parent-Child Conflict Tactics Scale (CTSPC), Physical assault by any parent | 36 months | Moderate | 0.26 | Statistically significant, p < 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample |
Reductions in Juvenile Delinquency, Family Violence, and Crime
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mother assaulted by any partner | 36 months | Moderate | 0.10 | Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 | 388 families | Christchurch sample |
This study included participants from the following locations:
- State not reported or international
International Locations
New Zealand
Study Participants
Nurses screened all families in the Christchurch area who had new infants. Screening included an 11-point assessment of family stress and an evaluation of the client's need for Early Start services. A total of 588 families were determined to be eligible and 443 families agreed to participate. Those 443 families were then randomly assigned to either the treatment or comparison group. The analysis sample consisted of 184 families in the treatment group and 207 in the comparison group. Approximately one quarter of the analysis sample was Māori, and weekly income in both the Early Start and comparison groups averaged about $340 per week (according to information provided by the authors). Results are reported as of the 36-month follow-up (certain outcomes have fewer than 391 respondents at this follow-up).
Setting
The study was conducted in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Intervention condition
Note: Navigate to the model page for more information about the home visiting model. See the source manuscript for more information about how the model was implemented in this study.
Comparison Conditions
Comparison participants were not offered any services beyond what is typically available to families in the Christchurch, NZ area.
Subgroups examined
• Race/ethnicity (Māori or Non-Māori) • Parity (primiparous or multiparous) • Maternal age (less than 20 years or 20 or older) • Family disadvantage (low or high)