Healthy Start Program and Feto-Infant Morbidity Outcomes: Evaluation of Program Effectiveness

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: We evaluate the impact of the Healthy Start intervention program on feto-infant morbidity within a community setting. METHODS: Prospective data from 2002 to 2007 within the ongoing Federally funded Healthy Start intervention project in Central Hillsborough County were merged with corresponding birth outcomes data from the Florida Department of Health. The impact of the project on the following feto-infant morbidity indices was assessed among service recipients: low birth weight (LBW), very low birth weight (VLBW), preterm, very preterm, small for gestational age (SGA) and a composite feto-infant morbidity outcome. Program effectiveness and impact were measured using odds ratios from logistic regression models and number needed to treat (NNT). RESULTS: The risk for low birth weight (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5-1.0), preterm (OR = 0.7; 95% CI = 0.5-0.9) and the composite feto-infant morbidity outcome (OR = 0.8; 95% CI = 0.6-0.9) was reduced among service recipients (N = 536) as compared to non-recipients (N = 2,815). A clinically important level of risk reduction was also noted for very low birth weight (OR = 0.5; 95% CI = 0.2-1.1) and very preterm (OR = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.3-1.2) although these did not reach statistical significance. The adjusted NNT was lowest for the composite feto-infant morbidity outcome (18), preterm birth (21) and low birth weight (24), and highest for very preterm (86) and very low birth weight (74) events. CONCLUSIONS: In a disadvantaged community setting, the Healthy Start intervention program was found to reduce the risk for very low birth weight and preterm births by about one-third.