Manuscript Detail | Home Visiting Evidence of Effectiveness

Boyd, A. (1997). Parents as first teachers pilot project evaluation (PAFT) : Report on Whangarei region: Final complete draft. Wellington: Ministry of Education.

Manuscript screening details
Screening decision	Screening conclusion	HomVEE procedures and standards version
Passes screens	Eligible for review	Version 1

Study design details
Rating	Design	Attrition	Baseline equivalence	Compromised randomization	Confounding factors	Valid, reliable measure(s)
Moderate	Randomized controlled trial	Low	Not established on race/ethnicity, SES, or outcomes	None	None	Not assessed in manuscripts reviewed before 2021

Notes:

footnote171

In order to receive a high rating, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with low attrition must control for race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and, if applicable, baseline outcomes if statistically significant differences exist between treatment and control groups. In this case, we had insufficient information to assess baseline equivalence on race/ethnicity, SES, or outcomes in order to determine if there were statistically significant differences for which the authors should have controlled in analyses.

footnote178

This study received a mixed rating. Four outcomes have low attrition and receive a moderate rating (positive child behaviors - problem solving task, total; positive caregiver behaviors - imaginative play episode, responding to child; positive child behaviors - imaginative play episode, attending to help; positive child behaviors - imaginative play episode, using information). All other outcomes have high attrition and baseline equivalence is not established on race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), or any outcomes. These outcomes rate low (low-rated outcomes are not reported).

Study characteristics
Study participants	The Parents as First Teachers (PAFT) pilot project was initiated in 1992–1993 in four areas of New Zealand: Whangarei, South Auckland, Gisbome, and Dunedin. This study reports on the Whangarei region. The PAFT pilot project aimed to provide first-time parents in each of the four geographical areas with a variety of services, from the birth of their first child until the child was 3 years of age. Participants were randomly assigned to the program or comparison group; 101 program families and 89 comparison families took part in the evaluation.
Setting	This study took place in the Whangarei region of New Zealand.
Intervention services	Trained parent educators provided monthly home visits, offering parenting education and guidance with the goal of increasing parents’ feelings of confidence and competence. The intervention included periodic child development screening and any necessary referrals, monthly group meetings, and access to resources at PAFT centers.
Comparison conditions	Comparison group families had annual contact with program staff, via mailings, to maintain contact and update addresses.
Subgroups examined	This field lists subgroups examined in the manuscript (even if they were not replicated in other samples and not reported on the summary page for this model’s report). Subgroups are not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021.
Funding sources	New Zealand Ministry of Education
Author affiliation	None of the study authors is a developer of this model.
Peer reviewed	Peer reviewed status is not listed for manuscripts reviewed before 2021.

Findings that rate moderate or high

Child development and school readiness
Rating	Outcome measure	Effect	Sample	Timing of follow-up	Sample size	Intervention group	Comparison group	Group difference	Effect size	Statistical significance
Moderate	Positive child behaviors - imaginative play episode, attending to help	FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect	Whangarei	3 years	163 mothers	Unadjusted mean = 2.00	Unadjusted mean = 2.45	Mean difference = -0.45	HomVEE calculated = -0.13	Not statistically significant, p = 0.41
Moderate	Positive child behaviors - imaginative play episode, using information	FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect	Whangarei	3 years	163 mothers	Unadjusted mean = 1.99	Unadjusted mean = 2.18	Mean difference = -0.19	HomVEE calculated = -0.09	Not statistically significant, p = 0.58
Moderate	Positive child behaviors - problem solving task, total	FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect	Whangarei	3 years	129 mothers	Unadjusted mean = 12.09	Unadjusted mean = 11.31	Mean difference = 0.78	HomVEE calculated = 0.11	Not statistically significant, p = 0.52

Positive parenting practices
Rating	Outcome measure	Effect	Sample	Timing of follow-up	Sample size	Intervention group	Comparison group	Group difference	Effect size	Statistical significance	Notes
Moderate	Positive caregiver behaviors - imaginative play episode, responding to child	FavorableUnfavorable or ambiguousNo Effect	Whangarei	3 years	143 mothers	Unadjusted mean = 3.75	Unadjusted mean = 4.29	Mean difference = -0.54	HomVEE calculated = -0.19	Not statistically significant, p = 0.25