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A program evaluation of postpartum/newborn home visitation services in aiken county, South Carolina
Chinelo A Ogbuanu1, Candace A Jones, James F McTigue
1Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA. ogbuanu@mailbox.sc.edu
Insights
Home visiting programs for infants can improve early enrollment in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program. However, timely delivery of these crucial postpartum/newborn home visits needs improvement for better outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Child Health
- Public Health Interventions
- Program Evaluation
Background:
- Home visiting programs aim to enhance child health and development.
- The Postpartum/Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) service is one such intervention.
- Evaluation of PPNBHV effectiveness is crucial for optimizing early childhood support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a process and outcome evaluation of the PPNBHV service.
- To assess the impact of home visits on early WIC enrollment and immunization status.
- To identify areas for improvement in the delivery of home visiting services.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective study of health records for infants born in Aiken County in 2004.
- Sample of 176 infants enrolled in the WIC program.
- Analysis of process measures (timeliness, revisits) and outcome measures (WIC enrollment age, immunization status).
Main Results:
- 43% of infants received a home visit; only 17% received it within the target timeframe.
- Infants receiving a home visit were 4 times more likely to enroll early in the WIC program.
- Home visits showed a significant association with earlier WIC program enrollment.
Conclusions:
- The PPNBHV service shows potential for improving early WIC enrollment.
- Enhancing the timeliness of home visits is essential for program effectiveness.
- Continuous program monitoring and evaluation are vital for quality improvement and ensuring adherence.
Objective:
Home visiting programs for very young children seek to promote their health and development. We conducted a process and outcome evaluation of the Postpartum/Newborn Home Visit (PPNBHV) service in 1 county.
Design:
A retrospective study of Aiken County Health records of live infant births in 2004 was conducted.
Sample:
A random sample of 176 infants who were born in 2004 and enrolled in the women, infants, and children's (WIC) program in the same year was selected.
Measures:
Process measures include timeliness of the home visit, and appropriateness of revisits. Outcome measures include age at WIC enrollment and immunization status at 6/9 months.
Results:
Of the 176 infants, 76 (43%) received a home visit. Of these, 13 (17%) received the visit within the stipulated time frame. After controlling for potential confounders, infants who received a home visit were 4 times (95% CI 1.92-8.36) as likely to enroll early in the WIC program compared with those who did not.
Conclusion:
The PPNBHV service may contribute to early enrollment in the WIC program. Improvement in the timeliness of the visits is needed. Program monitoring and evaluation are necessary to ensure adherence, measure outcomes, and provide feedback for continuous quality improvement.
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