Health and safety intervention with first-time mothers

    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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