Title

Father Attendance in Nurse Home Visitation

Date

2015

Author(s)

John R. Holmberg and David L. Olds

Brief Type

Journal Publication

Model(s)

  • Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP)

Description

Our aim was to examine the rates and predictors of father attendance at nurse home visits in replication sites of the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP). Early childhood programs can facilitate father involvement in the lives of their children, but program improvements require an understanding of factors that predict father involvement. The sample consisted of 29,109 low-income, first-time mothers who received services from 694 nurses from 80 sites. We conducted mixed-model multiple regression analyses to identify population, implementation, site, and nurse influences on father attendance. Predictors of father attendance included a count of maternal visits (B = 0.12, SE = 0.01, F = 3101.77), frequent contact between parents (B = 0.61, SE = 0.02, F = 708.02), cohabitation (B = 1.41, SE = 0.07, F = 631.51), White maternal race (B = 0.77, SE = 0.06, F = 190.12), and marriage (B = 0.42, SE = 0.08, F = 30.08). Random effects for sites and nurses predicted father-visit participation (2.7 & 6.7% of the variance, respectively), even after controlling for population sociodemographic characteristics. These findings suggest that factors operating at the levels of sites and nurses influence father attendance at home visits, even after controlling for differences in populations served. Further inquiry about these influences on father visit attendance is likely to inform program-improvement efforts. (author abstract)

Data Collection Methods

  • Program administrative record reviews

Status

Finished

For More Information

Holmberg, J. R., & Olds, D. L. (2015). Father attendance in nurse home visitation. Infant Mental Health Journal36(1), 128-139. doi: 10.1002/imhj.21490
Author Contact Information:
John R. Holmberg
John.Holmberg@UCDenver.edu

Topics

  • Participant Recruitment, Retention, Engagement, and Dosage