Manuscript Details

Mersky, J. P., Janczewski, C. E., Plummer Lee, C., & Yasin, T. (2022). Impact of home visiting programs on parenting stress in low income women: Findings from a community based trial at an urban health department. [Study 2]. Children and Youth Services Review, 142, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106638.

Peer Reviewed

Moderate rating
Study reviewed under: Handbook of Procedures and Standards, Version 2
Study design characteristics contributing to rating
Design Attrition Baseline equivalence Confounding factors? Valid, reliable measures?
Non-experimental comparison group design Not applicable

Established on race/ethnicity and SES; outcome(s) not feasible to assess at baseline

No

Yes

Notes from the review of this manuscript

The manuscript describes two studies: a randomized controlled trial (RCT) and a non-experimental comparison group design (NED). This review addresses the findings of the NED. The review of the RCT is addressed under Mersky et al. (2022; Study 1). Information on the measures and sample sizes—including information needed to demonstrate equivalence of the intervention and comparison groups and to establish measure reliability—is based on correspondence with the author. 

Some findings in the manuscript are ineligible for review, including the authors' analyses of how pre-intervention levels of maternal depression and social support moderate the intervention's effects on parenting stress outcomes. These moderation analyses are ineligible for review under HomVEE Version 2 standards because they use continuous moderator terms.

Maternal Health
Outcome Measure Timing of Follow-Up Rating Direction of Effect Effect Size (Absolute Value) Stastical Significance Sample Size Sample Description
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), difficult child 14-60 days postpartum Moderate
0.05 Not statistically significant, p = 0.78 125 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), difficult child 6 months postpartum Moderate
0.19 Not statistically significant, p = 0.28 129 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), difficult child 12 months postpartum Moderate
0.07 Not statistically significant, p = 0.69 117 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), dysfunctional interaction 14-60 days postpartum Moderate
0.12 Not statistically significant, p = 0.51 130 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), dysfunctional interaction 6 months postpartum Moderate
0.04 Not statistically significant, p = 0.82 134 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), dysfunctional interaction 12 months postpartum Moderate
0.04 Not statistically significant, p = 0.84 119 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), parental distress 14-60 days postpartum Moderate
0.18 Not statistically significant, p = 0.30 136 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), parental distress 6 months postpartum Moderate
0.32 Not statistically significant, p = 0.07 133 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
Parenting Stress Index - Short Form (PSI-SF), parental distress 12 months postpartum Moderate
0.31 Not statistically significant, p = 0.10 119 mothers HFA vs. Quasi-experimental comparison group, Milwaukee, 2014-2017, full sample
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

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if Hispanic ethnicity was reported separately or respondents could select two or more race or ethnicity categories.

American Indian or Alaska Native
1%
Black or African American
45%
Hispanic or Latino
42%
White
7%
Unknown
4%

Maternal Education

Data not available

Other Characteristics

Indigenous population
1%

This study included participants from the following locations:

  • Wisconsin
Study Participants

Study participants were pregnant women with low incomes who were referred to the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, health department for home visiting services between April 2014 and March 2017. They were eligible if they spoke English or Spanish and did not previously receive home visiting services. Up to 136 mother-child dyads with complete, nonmissing data were included in the study: 55 in the Healthy Families America home visiting group, and 81 in the comparison group. Outcome data were measured at 14–60 days postpartum, six months postpartum, and 12 months postpartum. Forty-four percent of the mothers were Hispanic, 44 percent were Non-Hispanic Black, and 12 percent were another race. Twenty-two percent had completed postsecondary education at the time of study enrollment.

Setting

The study took place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and included women who were seeking services at a large, urban health department.

Intervention condition
Comparison Conditions

Participants in the comparison group received a referral to home visiting but elected not to enroll in home visiting through the health department.

Subgroups examined

There were no subgroups reported in this manuscript.

Author Affiliation

Authors are affiliated with the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. HomVEE is not aware of any relationship between the authors and the home visiting model developer or distributor.

Funding Sources

This research was supported by the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, the Wisconsin Department of Public Health, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration award number 1D89MC26367-01-00.