Black or African American
63%
Bernard, K., Frost, A., Jelinek, C., & Dozier, M. (2019). Secure attachment predicts lower body mass index in young children with histories of child protective services involvement. Pediatric Obesity, 14(7), e12510. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijpo.12510
Study Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors? | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randomized controlled trial | High |
Established on race/ethnicity and SES; outcome not feasible to assess at baseline |
None |
Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed under Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 1 |
Notes from the review of this manuscript
The study authors used a linear growth mediation model to examine the effect of ABC-Infant on changes in body mass index (BMI) from ages 2 to 4 as mediated through secure attachment, as well as the direct effect on secure attachment itself. The indirect effects on BMI are ineligible for review by HomVEE. Information on baseline equivalence was based on correspondence with the author.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strange Situation Procedure - Secure attachment | First post-intervention visit where child was at least 1-year old (range 11.8 to 31.9 months old) | Moderate | 0.43 | Statistically significant, p= 0.03 | 105 children | ABC-Infant vs. DEF; Delaware |
This study included participants from the following locations:
- Delaware
Study Participants
Participants were recruited through referrals by Child Protective Service agencies. After receiving parental consent, children were randomized to either ABC-Infant or the comparison condition, which also provided home visits. Sixty-three percent of children in the analytic sample identified as African American, 20 percent as biracial or multiracial, 9 percent as Hispanic, and 8 percent as Caucasian. Among parents reporting income data, 93 percent reported incomes below the poverty level. The average maternal age at the child’s birth was 28, and children were younger than 24 months at the time of referral.
Setting
Newark, Delaware
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 families received Developmental Education for Families (DEF) in home visits that were of the same duration (10 hour-long sessions) and frequency (weekly) as ABC-Infant. DEF was designed to enhance cognitive and linguistic development. For this study, components related to parental sensitivity were excluded.
Subgroups examined
• Attachment style (secure or insecure)
Funding Sources
This research was supported in part by Award Numbers R01MH052135, R01MH074374, and R01MH084135 from the National Institute of Mental Health.