Abstract
Objectives: In Ohio, African American babies die at 2.5–3 times the rate of White babies. Preterm birth and low birth weight are the leading causes of infant mortality. Home visiting is an evidence-based strategy for serving low-income pregnant women; however, there are relatively few rigorous studies examining its effect on birth outcomes. Methods: This study uses a propensity score technique to estimate the causal effect of participation in home visiting on prematurity and low birth weight among a low-income, predominantly African American sample (N = 26,814). Results: We found that participation in home visiting significantly reduced the odds of experiencing both adverse birth events, with a larger program effect for the low birth weight outcome. Conclusions for Practice: Results suggest that selective prevention strategies must be accompanied by universal attempts to improve the health and life circumstances of low income and minority women.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 947-955 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Maternal and Child Health Journal |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 6 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jun 2021 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Keywords
- Birth outcomes
- Home visiting
- Low birth weight
- Preterm birth
- Propensity score