PFL Evaluation Team at the UCD Geary Institute. (2012). Preparing For Life early childhood intervention: Assessing the impact of Preparing For Life at six months [Study 2: Non-experimental design]. Dublin, Ireland: UCD Geary Institute.
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The Atlantic Philanthropies and the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (Ireland) supported the research.
| Design | Attrition | Baseline equivalence | Confounding factors | Valid, reliable measures? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-experimental comparison group design | Not applicable | Indeterminate |
No |
Yes |
The manuscript describes two studies: a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a non-experimental design (NED) using a matched comparison group. This review addressed the findings of the NED. The review of the RCT is addressed under Doyle et al. (2017; Study 1).
The NED receives an indeterminate rating. That means HomVEE reviewers lacked sufficient information on one or more features of the study design required to receive a rating of moderate or high. A rating of indeterminate is not a statement about the quality of the research or the research design. This manuscript receives an indeterminate rating because HomVEE was unable to determine whether the intervention and comparison groups were equivalent on race or ethnicity and socioeconomic status in the analyzed sample at baseline.
Information on how certain measures were constructed and their reliability, information to satisfy the baseline equivalence requirement for findings with high attrition, and information on the regression imputation method were based on correspondence with the author. Findings about mothers’ civic engagement, partnership status, household size, the presence of grandparents, whether the mother was breastfed herself as a baby, and whether the mother knows the baby’s weight are ineligible for review because they do not fall in one of HomVEE’s eligible outcome domains. Measures of the fathers’ income, education, and employment status are ineligible for review because HomVEE does not review measures of family self-sufficiency for the father, unless the manuscript clearly indicates that the father resides in the household.
Findings that rate moderate or high in this manuscript
No findings found that rate moderate or high.
Study participants were pregnant women recruited in a maternity hospital or in the community. A total of 115 pregnant women who were randomly assigned to the Preparing for Life—Home Visiting group that received home visiting services (“high PFL”) were matched with 99 comparison pregnant women who did not receive home visiting services. The study included a total of 164 participants, 81 in the high PFL (intervention) group and 83 in the comparison group. Outcomes were measured when the children in the sample were six 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.
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Participants in the comparison group had access to ‘services as usual’ in the community but did not receive any PFL programming. This comparison group of pregnant women was selected from a geographic region outside the PFL catchment area.