Study Details | Pathways to Work

28557.03-Building Wealth and Health: Full as Compared to Partial Intervention

Study quality: Low

Low

Reason for the rating: This study received a low study quality rating because it is a high-attrition randomized controlled trial that does not adjust estimated impacts for potentially important differences between the intervention and comparison groups.

Intervention: Building Health and Wealth Network—Full Intervention (as compared with Building Health and Wealth Network—Partial Intervention)

Population and employment barriers:

Cash assistance recipients, Parents

Services provided:

Health services (Substance use disorder treatment and mental health services)

Setting: Urban only

Study design

Design:

Randomized controlled trial

Study group formation:

This study is a randomized controlled trial. Participants were screened by County Assistant Office staff and referred to research staff. Research staff determined eligibility and received consent from participants. Eligible individuals were those who were receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), had a 20 hour per week work requirement to receive benefits, and were the primary caregiver of one or more children younger than age 6. After consenting to participate, participants were randomly assigned to one of two intervention conditions (partial or full) or the comparison condition. Recruitment and enrollment took place in June and July 2014. Participants completed baseline surveys and additional follow-up surveys every 3 months over a 15-month period. The research team administered surveys using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interview software. The baseline survey took 60 minutes to complete, and follow-up surveys took 30 minutes. The research team compensated participants with $25 for each completed survey.

Time period of study:

The intervention was studied over a 15-month period between June 2014 and October 2015.

Pathways only reports results from studies with a study quality rating of high or moderate.

Sample characteristics

Sex

Female	93%
Male	7%

Participant race and ethnicity

Black or African American	92%
White, not Hispanic	3%
Unknown, not reported, or other	3%
Hispanic or Latino of any race	3%

The race and ethnicity categories may sum to more than 100 percent if the authors reported race and ethnicity separately; in these cases, we report the category White, rather than White, not Hispanic.

Family status

Married	1%
Parents	100%

Participant employment and public benefit status

Were employed	15%
Were unemployed	85%
Were eligible for or receiving cash assistance	100%

Participant education

Had a high school diploma or GED

33%

Intervention implementation

Implementing organization:

Drexel University

Intervention services:

The Building Health and Wealth Network served TANF recipients who were caregivers to at least one child younger than age 6. Intervention group members were offered financial empowerment education, matched savings accounts, and trauma-informed peer support. Financial empowerment education involved 28 weekly three-hour classes focused on promoting self-sufficiency. Topics covered in the classes included saving for education, housing, entrepreneurial activities, retirement, improving credit, and reducing debt. The Network provided financial support by helping participants open a credit union savings account and then matching any contributions made by the participants during the program. The Network facilitated weekly peer support groups based on the Sanctuary Model. This model used a trauma-informed approach to help guide participants toward a more stable foundation. The curriculum focused on helping participants manage emotions, process loss, and develop goals in a safe and supportive space.

Mandatory services:

None

Comparison services:

The financial empowerment education and matched savings accounts services were identical to the intervention condition. The difference between the conditions was the comparison group did not have access to trauma-informed peer support.

Study publications

Booshehri, Layla G., Jerome Dugan, Falguni Patel, Sandra Bloom, and Mariana Chilton (2018). Trauma-informed temporary assistance for needy families (TANF): A randomized controlled trial with a two-generation impact, Journal of Child and Family Studies 27(5): 1594-1604.

Sun, Jing, Falguni Patel, Rachel Kirzner, Nijah Newton-Famous, Constance Owens, Seth L. Welles, and Mariana Chilton (2016). The Building Wealth and Health Network: Methods and baseline characteristics from a randomized controlled trial for families with young children participating in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), BMC Public Health 16(1): 1-15.

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The Pathways Clearinghouse refers to interventions by the names used in study reports or manuscripts. Some intervention names may use language that is not consistent with our style guide, preferences, or the terminology we use to describe populations.

Study of Building Wealth and Health—Full Intervention versus Partial Intervention