Official Title: Evaluating the Nurse Family Partnership Program in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Research Lead: David Rubin, MD, MSCE
Supported by: Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
Dates: April 01, 2008 – Sept 30, 2010
Background
While home visitation programs are growing in popularity and receiving increasing financial support, there is little evidence to support improved outcomes after widespread implementation. The Nurse Family Partnership (NFP) program, a prenatal home visitation program, has been found to positively impact a variety of maternal and child outcomes, including maternal smoking cessation, a reduction in second pregnancies, improved birthweight outcomes, reduced injuries to children in their first few years of life, and reduced welfare receipt among participants in multiple randomized trials. However, it is uncertain to what degree widespread dissemination and variation in individual program performance has impacted the program’s ability to improve outcomes.
Objective
- Evaluate five specific outcomes comparing NFP clients and non-participating matched controls, including:
- Low-birth weight
- Smoking Cessation
- Time to second pregnancy
- TANF receipt after delivery
- Injury rates among infants during the first two years of life.
- Quantify agency variation in outcomes as a means to consider practice improvement initiatives.
Methods
Design: This study is a retrospective cohort in which NFP clients were matched with non-participating eligible controls using propensity score matching.
Population: Clients enrolled in 23 NFP programs throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania from 2000 to 2007 on their first pregnancy who received welfare assistance within the 12 months prior to their first infant’s birth.
