Source
Doyle, O., Harmon, C., Heckman, J. J., Logue, C., & Moon, S. H. (2017). Early skill formation and the efficiency of parental investment: A randomized controlled trial of home visiting. Labour Economics, 45, 40-58.
The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (Ireland) supported the research.
Study Design
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | Low | Not assessed for randomized controlled trials with low attrition |
No |
Yes |
Information on how certain measures were constructed and their reliability and on the inverse–probability-weighting procedures were based on correspondence with the author. HomVEE's calculations for statistical significance are used because authors' calculations are based on one-tailed statistical tests. Several findings not reported in the tables below, including all findings at 18 months, received a low or indeterminate rating because they had high attrition and did not satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement or did not satisfy the reliability requirement.
Study participants were pregnant women recruited in a maternity hospital or in the community. A total of 233 pregnant women were randomly assigned to either the Preparing for Life—Home Visiting group that received home visiting services (“high PFL”; 115 participants) or the comparison condition that did not receive home visiting services (“low PFL”; 118 participants). The study included a total of 173 participants, 83 in the high PFL group and 90 in the low PFL comparison group. Outcomes were measured when the children in the sample were six, 12, and 18 months old. At intake, the average age of the mothers was 25. The percentage of mothers identifying as Irish was 96 percent, and 4 percent identified as Irish Traveller. About half of the women were first-time mothers.
The study took place in North Dublin, Ireland.
Preparing for Life—Home Visiting provided home visits that lasted 30 minutes to two hours during the mother’s pregnancy and until the child started school at age 5. The majority of participants received visits every two weeks, though some participants received services monthly. The home visitor was a trained Preparing for Life mentor. The mentor provided information by using tip sheets and worked with participants to resolve issues around the child’s development, including the child’s prebirth development, nutrition, rest and routine, and cognitive and social development. The mentor also addressed the mother and her supports. Participants had access to baby massage sessions until the child was 10 months old. Participants also received packages of materials, including home safety items (corner guards, angle latches, heat-sensitive spoons, and baby gym/play mats) and toys (puzzles, activity toys, and bricks), worth about 100 Euros per package.
Participants in the low PFL (comparison) group did not have access to the home visiting services or tip sheets. The comparison group did, however, receive some of the same resources made available to the high PFL (intervention) group, including the package of safety items and toys. These participants had access to an information officer who met with participants before the child’s birth and at various intervals after birth and provided information on Preparing for Life community events and other local services. Participants in the comparison group had access to public health workshops, such as a stress-control program and a healthy food program.
There were no subgroups reported in this manuscript.
Findings that rate moderate or high in this manuscript
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Developmental Profile-3: Cognitive Section, Cognitive development score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.07 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.65 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Infant Characteristics Questionnaire/Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, Difficult temperament, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.09 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.55 |
173 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Infant Characteristics Questionnaire/Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, Difficult temperament, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | -0.12 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.43 |
164 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Social-Emotional score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.03 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.83 |
173 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Social-Emotional score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.12 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.43 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Competence score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.16 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.31 |
161 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Brief Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment (BITSEA), Problem score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | -0.01 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.93 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Temperament and Atypical Behavior Scale (TABS), Atypical behavior score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | -0.15 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.34 |
164 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Gross motor score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.18 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.23 |
173 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Gross motor score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.07 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.64 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), Fine motor score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.26 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.10 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Parental hostile-reactive behaviors score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.22 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.15 |
171 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Mother reads to her child, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.00 | Not statistically significant, p = 1.00 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Mother reads to her child every day, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | -0.14 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.39 |
149 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Baby comparison scale score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.26 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.09 |
172 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Condon Maternal Attachment Scale, Quality of attachment score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.06 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.70 |
169 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Parental overprotection score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.02 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.88 |
172 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Condon Maternal Attachment Scale, Absence of hostility score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.04 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.81 |
171 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Parental warmth score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.06 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.71 |
171 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Locus of Control Scale (PLOC), Control of child's behavior score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.11 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.47 |
173 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Perceived parental impact score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.10 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.52 |
172 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Adult Adolescent Parenting Inventory 2 (AAPI-2), Belief in the use of appropriate punishment score, unweighted |
12 months old |
High | 0.08 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.59 |
165 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
| Outcome measure | Timing of follow-up | Rating | Effect size | Stastical significance | Sample size | Sample description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) short version, Dysfunctional interactions score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | -0.23 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.14 |
164 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parental Cognition and Conduct Toward the Infant Scale (PACOTIS), Parental self-efficacy score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.10 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.51 |
173 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
Parenting Stress Index (PSI) short version, Parenting distress score, unweighted |
6 months old |
High | 0.06 | Not statistically significant, p = 0.69 |
172 children | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full 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:
- State not reported or international