Community mothers programme - seven year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial of non-professional intervention in parenting

Background.The Community Mothers Programme aims at using experienced volunteer mothers in disadvantaged areas to give support to first-time parents in rearing their children up to 1 year of age. The programme was evaluated by randomized controlled trial in 1990. Method.Seven years later, trial parti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of public health (Oxford, England) England), 2000-09, Vol.22 (3), p.337-342
Main Authors: Johnson, Z, Molloy, B, Scallan, E, Fitzpatrick, P, Rooney, B, Keegan, T, Byrne, P
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Child
Child Development
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Child Rearing - psychology
Child Welfare - classification
Community based programmes
Community Networks - organization & administration
Evaluation
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Followup studies
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Ireland - epidemiology
Irish Republic
Mothers
Mothers - psychology
Parenting
Parenting - psychology
Poverty Areas
Primary Prevention
Program Evaluation
randomized controlled trial
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Risk Factors
Self Concept
Social Support
Volunteers
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Summary:Background.The Community Mothers Programme aims at using experienced volunteer mothers in disadvantaged areas to give support to first-time parents in rearing their children up to 1 year of age. The programme was evaluated by randomized controlled trial in 1990. Method.Seven years later, trial participants were interviewed about child health, nutrition, cognitive stimulation, parenting skills, and maternal self-esteem. The aim of this study was to see whether the demonstrated benefits at 1 year of age of this programme could be sustained at age 8. Results.One-third of the original group (38 intervention, 38 control), were contacted and interviewed. The risk for having an accident requiring a hospital visit was lower in the intervention group: relative risk (RR) 0.59, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI) 0.31-1.11. Intervention children were more likely to visit the library weekly: RR 1.58, 95 per cent CI 1.10-2.26. Intervention mothers were more likely to check homework every night: RR 1.23, 95 per cent CI 1.05-1.43 (p=0.006); and to disagree with the statement 'children should be smacked for persistently bad behaviour': RR 2.11, 95 per cent CI 1.10-4.06. They were more likely to disagree with the statement 'I do not have much to be proud of': RR 1.24, 95 per cent CI 1.04-1.40; and to make a positive statement about motherhood than controls: RR 1.53, 95 per cent CI 1.06-2.20. Subsequent children of intervention mothers were more likely to have completed Haemophilus influenzae b: RR 1.26, 95 per cent CI 1.06-1.51; and polio immunization: RR 1.19, 95 per cent CI 1.02-1.40. Conclusion.The Community Mothers programme had sustained beneficial effects on parenting skills and maternal self-esteem 7 years later with benefit extending to subsequent children.
ISSN:1741-3842
0957-4832
1741-3850
1464-3782
DOI:10.1093/pubmed/22.3.337