Table 2 Study measures

Primary Outcomes

Breastfeeding

Important for health/development, poor in Aboriginal children [33].

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Parental questionnaire (CHS items 37,39) collated at 12 months [34].

Body mass index

Childhood obesity is increasing. Home visiting interventions have had impact, although not sustained over time [35].

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Child weight and height; BMI = kg/m2.

Child development

Studies reporting significantly lower levels of performance for Indigenous children compared to their non-Indigenous counterparts on cognitive and language tasks at school entry [36, 37].

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Griffiths child developmental assessment [14].

Child vocabulary development

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Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test – 4th Edition [38].

Secondary Outcomes

Child

Child birthweight

Low birth weight more prevalent in Aboriginal children [33].

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Birth weight recorded in perinatal statistics.

Child health

Child health is associated with health in later life [39].

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General health (CHS item 97) [34]; Paediatric assessment (18 months).

Child dental health

Dental disease is an important cause of potentially preventable hospitalisations particularly for young Aboriginal children age 0–4 [40].

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Dental assessment (dmft: decayed, missing and filled primary teeth); Significant Caries Index (SiC).

Illnesses and injury

Aboriginal children have increased hospital admissions for respiratory illness, ear disease, gastroenteritis [41, 42].

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Parental questionnaire; Paediatric assessment (18 months);

Hospital data collections. Collated at 24 and 48 months.

Age at first solids

Disadvantaged mothers more likely to introduce solids too early [43].

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Parental questionnaire (CHS items 48–49), collated at 12 months) [34].

Age appropriate immunisation

Contact with health professionals is influential in immunisation [44].

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Parental questionnaire validated by Child Personal Health Record (Blue Book) [45].

Mother

Maternal enablement

Enabling mother is a key principle of SNHV [10, 46, 47].

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Modified Patient Enablement Instrument (Groups A and B only) [48].

Parental child developmental enablement

Parental enablement of their child’s development is a key purpose of the intervention.

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Modified Patient Enablement Instrument (Groups A and B only) [48].

Knowledge of SIDS risk factors

Disadvantaged families less likely to act to reduce risk of SIDS [49].

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Parental questionnaire [50].

Maternal health

Associated with child health.

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12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) [51].

Maternal smoking

Risk factor for adverse perinatal outcomes [33].

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Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence [52].

Family

Maternal social support

Positively influences families, parents, children [53].

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Parental questionnaire (CHS items 191–196) [34].

Family functioning

Affects health and wellbeing of children [53].

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McMaster Family Assessment Device [54].

Home

Home environment

Stimulating environment associated with infant development [55].

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HOME Inventory [56].

Household smoking

Increases risk of child respiratory problems [57].

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Parental questionnaire (CHS items 291–294) [34].

Service use

Use of and satisfaction with services

Parenting programs are effective in improving child behaviour [58].

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Parental questionnaire (CHS items 15, 18, 178–189, 285, 290) [34].

Mother satisfaction with home visiting service

Mothers are more likely to make use of services that are accessible and acceptable [59].

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Parental questionnaire (Modified PSQ-18 Groups A and B only) [50]; Program retention.