Attendance at Well-Child Visits After Reach Out and Read

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Preventive Care
• Early Literacy

Background:

• Well-child visits (WCVs) are crucial for child preventive care.
• Attendance rates can be suboptimal, particularly in underserved populations.
• The Reach Out and Read (ROR) program aims to improve early literacy and school readiness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Reach Out and Read program and WCV attendance.
• To determine if ROR implementation impacts adherence to recommended preventive care schedules.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design comparing WCV attendance before and after ROR implementation across 8 clinics.
• Data collected from parents of children aged 6 months to 5 years.
• Statistical analysis controlled for potential confounding factors.

Main Results:

• WCV attendance increased from 67.4% to 78.3% after ROR implementation (P < .01).
• This improvement was statistically significant after controlling for confounders (OR = 2.1).
• The most substantial gains in attendance were observed among Latino children and those with less-educated parents.

Conclusions:

• The Reach Out and Read program is associated with improved well-child visit attendance.
• Early literacy programs can be effective tools for enhancing preventive healthcare access for at-risk families.
• Interventions promoting early literacy may help reduce disparities in healthcare utilization.