Understanding maternal intentions to engage in home visiting programs

Abstract

Little is known as to why some parents choose to engage in voluntary home visitation services while others refuse or avoid services. To address this knowledge gap, this study tests several hypotheses about the factors that influence maternal intentions to engage in home visitation services and the link between these intentions and the receipt of a home visit. The sample consists of an ethnically diverse group of mothers identified as at-risk for parenting difficulties (N = 343). These mothers were offered home visitation services from nine home visiting programs located across six states. Regardless of service acceptance or refusal, all mothers were interviewed within 2 weeks of the service offer and 3 months later.The findings suggest that mothers who intend to use services look substantially different from those who do not state an intention to participate in home visitation. The results indicate that lower infant birth weight and greater comfort with a provider in one's home are significant predictors of maternal intentions to utilize home visiting services. The study results also support the connection between intent and behavior as the expressed intention to engage in home visitation services was a key predictor of the receipt of a visit.

The efficacy of conjoint behavioral consultation on parents and children in the home setting: Results of a randomized controlled trial

“…Children of women identified as having low psychological resources (i.e., limited intellectual functioning, mental health, and sense of personal control) were found to respond favorably to nurse-delivered home visits at six and 21 months of age (Olds et al, 2002). Greater parental engagement in services has been noted for parents who were considered at risk for parenting difficulties (Daro, McCurdy, Falconnier, & Stojanovic, 2003;McCurdy et al, 2006) than their counterparts. In the present study, CBC employed an individualized, responsive family centered approach to promote engagement similar to that used in other home visitation studies.…”

A Framework for Engaging Parents in Prevention

“…Regardless of the particular theory, studies of parent engagement have investigated only the intention construct. In general, findings show that parental intentions to enroll in a prevention program are strongly related to their participation (Dumas et al, 2007;McCurdy et al, 2006;Spoth et al, 1997).…”

“…Similarly, Dumas and colleagues (2007) found positive associations between children's elevated ratings for oppositional behavior and parent involvement in a parenting program. McCurdy et al (2006) found that parents of low-birth weight infants were more willing to receive home visiting services. Yet other research shows 60 K. A.…”

“…The evidence suggests that it is, depending on parents' relative perceptions of these benefits. Parents are more likely to participate in prevention programs when they can clearly identify the benefits to themselves, their children, and their families (Hahn et al, 1996;McCurdy et al, 2006), but less likely if these benefits are not as clear (Spoth et al, 1997).…”

Childhood Psychosocial Determinants of Cardiovascular Health

“…Even in the case of a brief, three-session intervention delivered in the home for which families were given a financial incentive for participation, 17% of at-risk families chose not to enroll [43]. Families who decline interventions despite psychosocial risk factors may unfortunately be those in greatest need of assistance, such as first-time parents lacking knowledge regarding the challenges of child rearing or those uncomfortable with the model of in-home visitation (possibly due to unsuitable or unstable living conditions) [45]. Clearly, continued efforts to access and engage families at risk of nonparticipation and attrition are needed, with the understanding that barriers to participation are not static and will likely shift over time along with population trends in education, poverty and disparities.…”