Healthy Births for Healthy Communities
The Healthy Births for Healthy Communities (HBHC) Interconceptional Care Program provided comprehensive interconception services to women living in Chicago’s North Lawndale and Austin communities who had recently experienced a preterm birth, low birthweight birth, or fetal loss. Participants received case management, medical care, reproductive education, a medical home, and assistance setting reproductive and self-management goals in the 18 months following their adverse birth outcomes1. The program started in July 2006 and ended in February 20102.
What could this strategy improve?
Expected Benefits
Our evidence rating is based on the likelihood of achieving these outcomes:
Increased healthy behaviors
Improved health outcomes
Potential Benefits
Our evidence rating is not based on these outcomes, but these benefits may also be possible:
Increased use of contraception
What does the research say about effectiveness? This strategy is rated insufficient evidence.
There is insufficient evidence to determine whether Healthy Births for Healthy Communities (HBHC) affected health behaviors or outcomes among program participants. An evaluation of HBHC indicates that most participants did not intend to get pregnant soon, but entered the program using minimally effective methods or no method of preventing pregnancy and STIs. Despite a high prevalence of health problems, most participants perceived themselves as healthy and considered social and economic needs more pressing than health needs. This evaluation suggests that interventions similar to HBHC work with patients to address their socio-economic needs in conjunction with education about contraception and preventive care1. Additional evidence is needed to confirm effects.
How could this strategy impact health disparities? This strategy is rated likely to decrease disparities.
Implementation Examples
The archived Healthy Births for Healthy Communities website includes information about the HBHC model, outreach strategies, and tools used by the program2.
Implementation Resources
HBHC - Healthy Births for Healthy Communities (HBHC).
Footnotes
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1 Handler 2013 - Handler A, Rankin KM, Peacock N, et al. The implementation of interconception care in two community health settings: Lessons learned. American Journal of Health Promotion. 2013;27(3 Suppl):eS21-31.
2 HBHC - Healthy Births for Healthy Communities (HBHC).
Related What Works for Health Strategies
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countyhealthrankings.org/take-action-to-improve-health/what-works-for-health/strategies/healthy-births-for-healthy-communities
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countyhealthrankings.org/whatworks