Manuscript Details

Kemp, L., Harris, E., McMahon, C., Matthey, S., Vimpani, G., Anderson, T., Schmied, V., & Aslam, H. (2013). Benefits of psychosocial intervention and continuity of care by child and family health nurses in the pre‐and postnatal period: Process evaluation. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(8), 1850–1861.

Additional Sources:
  • Kemp, L., Harris, E., McMahon, C., Matthey, S., Vimpani, G., Anderson, T., Schmied, V., & Aslam, H. (2012). Benefits of psychosocial intervention and continuity of care by child and family health nurses in the pre- and postnatal period: Process evaluation. Journal of Advanced Nursing. DOI: 10.1111/jan.12052

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 SES, information on race/ethnicity 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.

Moderate rating does not apply to infant sleeping environment and mother enablement outcomes which had high attrition.

Child Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Breastfeeding fully or partially at 4 weeks 4 weeks Moderate
0.12 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 161 mothers Western Sydney
Breastfeeding initiated Birth Moderate
0.06 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 202 mothers Western Sydney
Infant admission to special care nursery Birth Moderate
0.12 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 203 mothers Western Sydney
SIDS risk knowledge 4 weeks Moderate
0.35 Statistically significant, p = 0.04 137 mothers Western Sydney
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
Assisted vaginal delivery Birth Moderate
0.30 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 199 mothers Western Sydney
Caesarean section Birth Moderate
0.13 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 199 mothers Western Sydney
Genitourinary infection in pregnancy Birth Moderate
0.05 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 203 mothers Western Sydney
Gestational diabetes Birth Moderate
0.20 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 203 mothers Western Sydney
Maternal general health, very good or excellent 4-6 weeks Moderate
0.44 Statistically significant, p = 0.03 141 mothers Western Sydney
Pregnancy-induced hypertension Birth Moderate
0.40 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 203 mothers Western Sydney
Unassisted vaginal delivery Birth Moderate
0.25 Not statistically significant, p ≥ 0.05 199 mothers Western Sydney
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

Data not available

Maternal Education

High school diploma or GED
78%
Unknown
22%

Other Characteristics

Data not available

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • State not reported or international
International Locations
Australia
Study Participants

Pregnant women were eligible to participate if they did not require the use of an interpreter and reported at least one risk factor for poor maternal or child outcomes during routine psychosocial and domestic violence screenings conducted by midwives in a local hospital. After consenting to participate in the study, 208 eligible mothers were randomly assigned to the program (Maternal Early Childhood Sustained Home Visiting Program, or MECSH) or comparison group before baseline data were collected. One hundred eleven were assigned to MECSH and 97 to the comparison group. This study reports on prenatal and birth outcomes, as well as outcomes measured at four to six weeks postpartum.

Setting

The study was conducted in a socioeconomically disadvantaged suburb of Sydney, Australia.

Comparison Conditions

Women in both study conditions received usual antenatal midwifery, obstetric, and birthing services. Comparison group women were expected to receive a home visit by a child health nurse within two weeks of giving birth, in accordance with standard practice in New South Wales.

Author Affiliation

Lynn Kemp, a study author, is a developer of this model.

Funding Sources

The trial was funded by the Australian Research Council, Sydney South West Area Health Service, the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Community Services, and the NSW Department of Health.