Improved birth weight for Black infants: Outcomes of a Healthy Start program
Am J Public Health
Objectives: We determined whether participation in Healthy Babies Healthy Start (HBHS), a maternal health program emphasizing racial equity and delivering services through case management home visitation, was associated with improved birth outcomes for Black women relative to White women.
Methods: We used a matched-comparison posttest-only design in which we selected the comparison group using propensity score matching. Study data were generated through secondary analysis of Michigan state- and Kalamazoo County-level birth certificate records for 2008 to 2010. We completed statistical analyses, stratified by race, using a repeated-measures generalized linear model.
Results: Despite their smoking rate being double that of their matched counterparts, Black HBHS participants delivered higher birth-weight infants than did Black nonparticipants (P = .05). White HBHS participants had significantly more prenatal care than did White nonparticipants, but they had similar birth outcomes (P = .7 for birth weight; P = .55 for gestation).
Conclusions: HBHS participation is associated with increased birth weights among Black women but not among White women, suggesting differential program gains for Black women.
Kothari CL, Zielinski R, James A, Charoth RM, Sweezy Ldel C. Improved birth weight for Black infants: Outcomes of a Healthy Start program. Am J Public Health. 2014;104 Suppl 1:S96-s104. PMID: 24354844. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301359.