Exploring the Impact of Race/Ethnicity Match on Relationship Quality: Incorporating Parent and Home Visitor Perspectives

TL;DR

This study examines how race/ethnicity matching between parents and home visitors affects their relationship quality, using both parent and home visitor perspectives.

Contribution

The study provides new empirical insights into how race/ethnicity match influences relationship quality ratings from both parents and home visitors.

Findings

Home visitors rate relationship quality higher when there is a race/ethnicity match, but parents do not.

Parents and home visitors use different criteria to assess relationship quality.

Black parents report lower relationship quality ratings compared to White parents, independent of race/ethnicity match.

Abstract

The primary goal of this study is to investigate whether a race/ethnicity match between parents and home visitors (HV) is associated with their relationship quality and whether quality ratings differ depending on parent or HV report.

Participants included 1,461 parent/HV dyads who participated in the Maternal Infant Health Program, Michigan’s largest evidence-based home visiting program for Medicaid-eligible pregnant people and infants. At the time of discharge, parents and HVs were asked to complete a brief survey and reported on their background, program experiences, and relationship quality. We ran a series of multivariable logistic regression analyses and regressed HV- and parent-reported relationship quality ratings on race/ethnicity (mis)match controlling for covariates that likely contribute to the HV-parent relationship quality.

Both parents and HVs rated the relationship quality positively, but their ratings were only moderately correlated, which suggests that parents and HVs use different criteria to determine relationship quality. When there is a race/ethnicity match, HVs rate the relationship quality higher, but match is not associated with parents’ relationship quality ratings. In general, Black parents reported lower relationship quality ratings compared to White parents, which suggests that Black parents’ dissatisfaction is stemming from sources other than a race/ethnicity mismatch.

An important factor that drives families’ participation and retention in maternal and infant home visiting programs is the HV-parent relationship quality. To foster positive relationships with families’ of minoritized racial/ethnic backgrounds, researchers and practitioners underscore the importance of service providers demonstrating cultural competence. Currently, there is limited work empirically exploring this area. The present study fills this gap by investigating whether a race/ethnicity match between parents and home visitors is associated with their relationship quality. Results indicate that parents and home visitors use different rating criteria and highlight the importance of considering both perspectives to understand relationship quality.