Manuscript Details

Schwarz, D. F., O’Sullivan, A. L., Guinn, J., Mautone, J. A., Carlson, E. C., Zhao, H., Zhang, X., Esposito, T. L., Askew, M., & Radcliffe, J. (2012). Promoting early intervention referral through a randomized controlled home-visiting program. Journal of Early Intervention, 34(1), 20–39

Model(s): MOM Program
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 Low

Equivalent on race/ethnicity, information on SES not available

None

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

In order to receive a high rating, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with low attrition must control for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and, if applicable, baseline outcomes if statistically significant differences exist between treatment and control groups. In this case, there were no significant differences in terms of race/ethnicity, but we had insufficient information to assess baseline equivalence on SES because the only SES measure collected at baseline was maternal education. HomVEE prefers to see equivalence on income, earnings, or poverty levels according to federal thresholds, but also considers other measures of SES (that is, maternal education, employment, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children/Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or food stamps receipt), if at least two such alternative measures of SES are provided.

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
Denver Developmental Screening Test-II (DDST-II) 16 months Moderate
Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 287 mothers Philadelphia sample
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), Full Scale IQ 33 months Moderate
0.09 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), Language Score 33 months Moderate
0.02 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), Performance Score 33 months Moderate
0.15 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Third Edition (WPPSI-III), Verbal Score 33 months Moderate
0.06 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
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
Maternal level of education 33 months Moderate
0.05 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income > 2500 33 months Moderate
0.00 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 1000 33 months Moderate
0.08 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 1500 33 months Moderate
0.14 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 2000 33 months Moderate
0.27 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 250 33 months Moderate
0.24 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 2500 33 months Moderate
0.11 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Monthly income: 500 33 months Moderate
0.19 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of months in school in past year 33 months Moderate
0.19 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of months worked in past year 33 months Moderate
0.06 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of moves in past 33 months 33 months Moderate
0.00 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Receipt of public assistance 33 months Moderate
0.03 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Use of homeless services 33 months Moderate
0.32 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Effect rating key
Favorable finding / Statistically significant
Unfavorable finding / Statistically significant
Ambiguous finding / Statistically significant
No effect / Not statistically significant
Linkages and Referrals
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Receipt of early intervention (EI) services 33 months Moderate
0.87 Statistically significant, p < 0.05 287 mothers Philadelphia sample
Referral to early intervention (EI) 33 months Moderate
0.23 Statistically significant, p < 0.05 287 mothers Philadelphia sample
Time to first receipt of early intervention (EI) services 33 months Moderate
Statistically significant, p < 0.05 287 mothers Philadelphia sample
Time to first referral for early intervention (EI) services 33 months Moderate
Statistically significant, p < 0.05 287 mothers Philadelphia sample
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
BDI-II total scale 33 months Moderate
0.13 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 269 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of other children 33 months Moderate
0.00 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of other children 33 months Moderate
0.00 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
Number of subsequent pregnancies 33 months Moderate
0.01 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 271 mothers Philadelphia sample
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
94%
Unknown
6%

Maternal Education

Data not available

Other Characteristics

Enrollment in means-tested programs
55%

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • Pennsylvania
Study Participants

Participating mothers were recruited from the postpartum unit of a hospital in Philadelphia and randomized into treatment and control groups. Of the 650 mothers who met eligibility criteria, 618 were invited to participate (32 were not invited, largely due to being discharged early from the hospital). The 302 mothers who consented to study participation were randomized to the treatment (n = 152) and control (n = 150) groups. All mothers lived in zip codes with high rates of poverty and each had just given birth to a singleton that weighed at least 2,500 grams and did not appear to have any genetic or developmental disorders. The study notes that most of the mothers were African American but does not provide statistics on the racial composition of the sample. The mothers had completed 12 years of schooling. No additional baseline data on socioeconomic status are specified. Participants were followed from birth until 33-months of age: telephone interviews were conducted with the mothers every four months, in-person assessments of children were completed at 18 and 33 months, and mothers were assessed and interviewed at 33 months.

Setting

The study was conducted in a high-poverty area of Philadelphia.

Intervention condition
Comparison Conditions

The comparison group members received information booklets on child/family services on enrollment and details on transportation for the 33-month child evaluation. They also received follow-up telephone calls every four months to maintain up-to-date contact information.

Author Affiliation

Not clear from the article.

Funding Sources

The William Penn Foundation (Grant 229-08)