Orri, M., Cote, S. M., Tremblay, R. E., & Doyle, O. (2019). Impact of an early childhood intervention on the home environment, and subsequent effects on child cognitive and emotional development: A secondary analysis. Plos One, 14(7), Article e0219133.
Peer Reviewed
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors? | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | Low |
Not assessed for randomized controlled trials with low attrition |
No |
Yes |
Notes from the review of this manuscript
Information on how certain measures were constructed and their reliability and on sample sizes for each finding were based on correspondence with the author. Findings reported when children in the sample were 36 months old are ineligible for review because high PFL families were offered Triple P, a parenting course promoting healthy parenting practices and positive parent-child attachment, when children were between 24 and 36 months old, and the low PFL group was not offered these services. 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.
| Outcome Measure | Timing of Follow-Up | Rating | Direction of Effect | Effect Size (Absolute Value) | Stastical Significance | Sample Size | Sample Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), Involvement scale | 6 months old | High | 0.05 | Not statistically significant, p= 0.80 | 168 mothers | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample | |
| Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), Responsivity scale | 6 months old | High | 0.08 | Not statistically significant, p= 0.56 | 165 mothers | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample | |
| Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME), Learning Materials scale | 6 months old | High | 0.29 | Statistically significant, p= 0.02 | 168 mothers | High PFL vs. Low PFL; Dublin, Ireland 2008-2010; full sample |
This study included participants from the following locations:
- State not reported or international
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 170 participants, 81 in the high PFL group and 89 in the low PFL comparison group. Outcomes were measured when the children in the sample were six, 18, and 36 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.
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.
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.
The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (Ireland) supported the research.