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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
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The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA |
Patrick Robert Draves, MA1, Lynn M. Deitrick, RN, PhD2, and Carnot Nelson, PhD1. (1) Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 110 West Curtis Street, Tampa, FL 33603, (813) 263-7000, draves@worldnet.att.net, (2) Health Studies Unit, Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network, 17th & Chew Sts., Allentown, PA 18105
Intoduction Data from Central Hillsborough Healthy Start clients were examined to determine if receipt of prenatal doula services resulted in improved birth outcomes for women already receiving prenatal Health Department home visits. CHHS provides comprehensive case management, home visitation, and doula services to high-risk pregnant women within 17 census tracts in Hillsborough County, Florida. Methods Birth outcome data from 2 years of the program compared four groups of women: those receiving no services prenatally, those receiving only Health Department services, those receiving only doula services, and those receiving both services prenatally. Researchers used chi-square and t-tests to examine differences between groups. Significant results are presented below. Results Women receiving both Health Department home visitation and doula services prenatally gave birth to babies with significantly higher birth weights than did women who received neither service prenatally (3198.6 grams vs. 3029.5 grams, p < .01). Babies of women receiving both services prenatally also had significantly higher weeks gestation at birth than did babies of women receiving only Health Department home visits (38.8 vs. 38.0, p < .05), only doula services (38.8 vs. 37.4, p < .05), or neither service prenatally (38.8 vs. 37.4, p < .01). Conclusions CHHS provides researchers with a rare opportunity to examine the efficacy of various service modalities alone or in tandem. Significantly lower rates of LBW, VLBW, and preterm delivery among women receiving doula services in addition to the standard Health Department home visitation suggest that doula services may add value to traditional home visitation models.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to
Keywords: Healthy Start, Home Visiting
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Central Hillsborough Healthy Start
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: indirect employment- graduate assistant on local external evaluation team