Utilization of well-child care services for African-American infants in a low-income community : results of a randomized, controlled case management and home visiting intervention

This study evaluates a case management/home visitation intervention to improve access to and utilization of well-child care (WCC) visits, through use of randomized, controlled trials with baseline and follow-up interview surveys. Mothers and infants in the intervention group were assigned case managers who made at least four home visits during the infantUs first year of life. The group consisted of a population-based random sample of African-American mothers of newborns from South Central Los Angeles: 185 mothers in the intervention group and 180 in the control group completed both interview surveys. There was little change in the overall distribution of number of WCC visits during the first year of life. In light of the high expense of this intervention, this evaluation shows that a moderate-intensity case management and home visitation program is not an effective way to increase the number of WCC visits.