Exploring the Impact of Race/Ethnicity Match on Relationship Quality: Incorporating Parent and Home Visitor...

The primary goal of this study is to investigate whether a race/ethnicity match between parents and home visitors (HV) is associated with their relationship quality and whether quality ratings differ depending on parent or HV report.

Participants included 1,461 parent/HV dyads who participated in the Maternal Infant Health Program, Michigan's largest evidence-based home visiting program for Medicaid-eligible pregnant people and infants. At the time of discharge, parents and HVs were asked to complete a brief survey and reported on their background, program experiences, and relationship quality. We ran a series of multivariable logistic regression analyses and regressed HV- and parent-reported relationship quality ratings on race/ethnicity (mis)match controlling for covariates that likely contribute to the HV-parent relationship quality.

Both parents and HVs rated the relationship quality positively, but their ratings were only moderately correlated, which suggests that parents and HVs use different criteria to determine relationship quality. When there is a race/ethnicity match, HVs rate the relationship quality higher, but match is not associated with parents' relationship quality ratings. In general, Black parents reported lower relationship quality ratings compared to White parents, which suggests that Black parents' dissatisfaction is stemming from sources other than a race/ethnicity mismatch.