FAMILY CONTEXT AS A MODERATOR OF PROGRAM EFFECTS IN PRENATAL AND EARLY-CHILDHOOD HOME VISITATION

Typically research addressing minority family issues focuses on broad cultural differences between majority and minority families, and ignor es or minimizes the diversity among families in the minority populatio n. In this article, we address this diversity, specifically the influe nce of household configuration on the quality of the caregiving Enviro nment, and the ability of a nurse home-visitation program for first-ti me mothers and their infants to affect changes in the environment. Mot hers who live with husbands or boyfriends have the best care-giving en vironments, and mothers who live alone make the greatest improvements. These results are discussed in the context of the nature of the relat ionship the home visitor is able to establish with key members of the household. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.