Title

Health and safety intervention with first-time mothers

Authors

Authors

A. M. Culp; R. E. Culp; J. W. Anderson;S. Carter

Comments

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Abbreviated Journal Title

Health Educ. Res.

Keywords

HOME-VISITATION PROGRAM; INFANT-DEATH-SYNDROME; MATERNAL LIFE-COURSE; RANDOMIZED-TRIAL; FOLLOW-UP; PREGNANCY OUTCOMES; PASSIVE SMOKING; NURSES; PREDICTORS; CHILDREN; Education & Educational Research; Public, Environmental & Occupational; Health

Abstract

A health education program was evaluated which used child development specialists as home visitors and served a population of first-time mothers living in rural communities. The evaluation compared health and safety outcomes between intervention and control groups. The research staff, separate from the intervention staff, collected data in the homes of 156 intervention and 107 control mothers when the infants were 6 and 12 months old. Significant group differences were found on health and safety outcomes. As compared with controls, the intervention mothers (i) had safer homes; (ii) were more likely to use birth control, thus had fewer pregnancies since birth of their first child; (iii) reported smoking fewer cigarettes; (iv) knew more about effects of smoking on their child's health and (v) were more likely to use health department services. In sum, mothers who received early education home visits from child development specialists experienced positive health and safety outcomes. It is highly recommended that a program such as this be implemented as part of health delivery program with new mothers and infants.

Journal Title

Health Education Research

Volume

22

Issue/Number

2

Publication Date

1-1-2007

Document Type

Article

Language

English

First Page

285

Last Page

294

WOS Identifier

WOS:000244962300011

ISSN

0268-1153

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