title: Factors Associated With Increased Reading Frequency in Children Exposed to Reach Out and Read.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A 2014 American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Literacy Promotion recommends providers endorse daily caregiver-child reading during health supervision visits. Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a widely used model of office-based early literacy promotion. We hypothesized that exposure to ROR and other variables such as reading as part of a bedtime routine positively correlate with caregiver-child reading frequency.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a cross-sectional study based on a convenience sample of caregivers at 8 ROR-Milwaukee sites, which serve predominantly low-income populations in Milwaukee. On the basis of results of previously validated questionnaires, odds ratios were calculated to determine which variables are significantly associated with caregivers' reading to children 0 to 2 (rarely), 3 to 6 (often), and 7 (daily) days per week. Random forest analysis was performed to examine relative importance of variables in predicting caregivers' reading frequency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 256 caregivers were eligible for analysis; those who reported receiving ≥4 books from pediatricians read to children more days per week compared to those receiving fewer books (5.07 vs 3.61, P < .001) and were more likely to read daily (odds ratio 3.07, 95% confidence interval 1.80-5.23). Caregivers' interest in reading, number of children's books in the home, reading as part of a bedtime routine, and number of books received from pediatricians were among the most important variables in distinguishing rarely, often, and daily reading caregivers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to ROR-Milwaukee's intervention is associated with increased reading frequency. Identified variables such as reading as a bedtime routine and number of children's books in the home should be targets for future literacy-promoting interventions.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc.
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rikin
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc.
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Glatt
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc.
authors.forename: Pippa
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc.
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc.
authors.forename: Ogugua
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Anene-Maidoh
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wisc. Electronic address: ewillis@mcw.edu.
authors.forename: Earnestine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Willis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D000067010:Literacy; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010290:Parents; D011203:Poverty; D011932:Reading; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014922:Wisconsin
keywords: literacy; pediatrics; primary care