1-104 - Disentangling the Impact of Home Visiting Programs on Children’s Behaviour, Cognition, and Health

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

Low family socioeconomic status (SES) has consistently been identified as a risk factor for poor developmental outcomes as it is related to risky pregnancy behaviors, increased family stress, poor parenting practices, and impaired family functioning and decision-making. Early intervention programs supporting low SES families are recognized as a viable strategy for preventing long-term social and health problems. In Ireland, the Preparing for life (PFL) randomized control trial (RCT), a prenatally commencing five-year home visiting program targeting low-SES families, identified large positive effects on behavioural problems, health, cognition, and school readiness. However, in order to improve the efficacy and effectiveness of such interventions, it is important to gain knowledge on the mechanisms underlying the treatment effects, the variation of the effects for different population subgroups, as well as the salience of the treatment outcome to children themselves. This symposium explores these topics using data from the PFL trial. The first paper presents a study investigating how the intervention efficacy varies according to children’s developmental trajectories of behavior, cognition, and health. The second paper presents a study investigating whether changes in the home environment following the PFL treatment may explain the observed positive effects on children’s behavior and cognition. The third paper presents a qualitative study exploring the school readiness priorities of young children living in the PFL communities. Beyond the average treatment effects, disentangling how and for which children the treatment works will enable us to refine the treatment, improve its efficacy, and match children’s priorities.

Sub Unit

• Prevention and Interventions

Chair

• Massimiliano Orri, McGill University

Discussant

• Orla Doyle, University College Dublin

Individual Presentations

• A Multi-Component Early Intervention Program and Trajectories of Behavior, Cognition, and Health - Presenting Author: Sylvana Côté, University of Montreal; Non-Presenting Author: Massimiliano Orri, McGill University; Non-Presenting Author: Richard Ernest Tremblay, University of Montreal; Non-Presenting Author: Orla Doyle, University College Dublin

• Impact of a Multi-Component Intervention on the Home Environment, and Subsequent effects on Child Outcomes - Presenting Author: Massimiliano Orri, McGill University; Non-Presenting Author: Sylvana Côté, University of Montreal; Non-Presenting Author: Richard Ernest Tremblay, University of Montreal; Non-Presenting Author: Orla Doyle, University College Dublin

• A Model of School Readiness Based on the Priorities of Children from a Disadvantaged Community - Presenting Author: Christine O'Farrelly, Imperial College London; Non-Presenting Author: Ailbhe Booth, University College Dublin; Non-Presenting Author: Mimi Tatlow-Golden, The Open University; Non-Presenting Author: Beth Barker, Imperial College London