Moving toward evidence-based federal Healthy Start program evaluations: accounting for bias in birth outcomes studies

Am J Public Health. 2014 Feb;104 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S25-7. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301276. Epub 2013 Dec 19.

Abstract

We used administrative and screening data from 2009 to 2010 to determine if Healthy Start (HS), an enhanced prenatal services program, is reaching the most vulnerable African American women in Kent County, Michigan. Women in HS are at higher risk of key predictors of birth outcomes compared with other women. To advance toward evidence-based HS program evaluations in the absence of randomized controlled trials, future studies using comparison groups need to appropriately establish baseline equivalence on a variety of risk factors related to birth outcomes.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bias
  • Black or African American / statistics & numerical data
  • Evidence-Based Practice / methods
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Maternal Health Services / standards*
  • Maternal Health Services / statistics & numerical data
  • Medicaid / statistics & numerical data
  • Michigan / epidemiology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Outcome / epidemiology
  • Program Evaluation
  • Risk Factors
  • United States
  • Young Adult