Promoting prenatal and early childhood health: evaluation of a statewide materials-based intervention for parents.
OBJECTIVE
There is a critical need for effective, large-scale health communication programs to support parents of children aged 0-5 years. We evaluated the effectiveness of the Kit for New Parents, a multimedia health and parenting resource now distributed annually to 500000 parents in California.


METHODS
In this quasi-experimental study, 462 mothers in the intervention group and 1011 mothers in the comparison group, recruited from prenatal and postnatal programs, completed a baseline interview about health-relevant parenting knowledge, and mothers in the intervention group received the kit. Both groups were reinterviewed 2 months later. At 14-months postbaseline, 350 mothers in the intervention group and a sample of 414 mothers who had equivalent demographic characteristics (comparison group) were interviewed about parenting knowledge and practices.


RESULTS
Of the mothers in the intervention group, 87% reported using the kit within 2 months after receiving it, and 53% had shared it with their partner. At both follow-ups, mothers in the intervention group showed greater gains in knowledge and reported better practices at 14 months than did mothers in the comparison group. Gains were greater for prenatal recipients and for Spanish speakers. Providers considered the kit a valuable resource for their parenting programs.


CONCLUSIONS
The kit is an effective, low-cost, statewide health intervention for parents.
Neuhauser
Linda
L
Community Health and Human Development, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-7360, USA. lindan@berkeley.edu
Constantine
Wendy L
WL
Constantine
Norman A
NA
Sokal-Gutierrez
Karen
K
Obarski
Susan K
SK
Clayton
Lacy
L
Desai
Mona
M
Sumner
Gerald
G
Syme
S Leonard
SL
D002140:California; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology*; D010174:Pamphlets; D016487:Parenting / Q000523:psychology*; D013997:Time Factors