The Domestic Violence Enhanced Home Visitation Program (DOVE) was a randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of incorporating interpersonal violence (IPV) screening and safety plans into home visits. Pregnant women in the control group and the DOVE intervention group received home visits before the baby was born until the baby was two years old.
The DOVE study served women from twelve Missouri counties, nine of which are rural, and was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research.
Every woman in the 2006-2012 study received four to six home visits before the baby was born and six to twelve visits in the two years after the baby was born. The DOVE intervention was delivered three times during pregnancy and three times postpartum. Women were eligible for the DOVE trial if they were:
- English-speaking (now, all DOVE materials are also available in Spanish)
- 14 years old or older
- Low-income
- Pregnant for less than 32 weeks
- Experiencing IPV by a current or past partner within the year before pregnancy
- Enrolled in a perinatal home visiting program
Participating women received a brochure during their regular home visits. The brochure contained information about the cycle of violence, the Danger Assessment (assessing one’s risk of being killed by a partner), safety planning, community resources like safe houses, and national hotline information. Home visitors tailored the DOVE intervention to the participant’s needs and sense of danger at each visit. Home visitors helped participants develop a safety plan.
Results
The study measured levels of IPV against 239 women, from 13 rural health agencies in Missouri and the health department in Baltimore. In the Missouri sites, 67 women received usual care (IPV screening and referral) and 80 women received the DOVE intervention until 3 months postpartum. Women in the DOVE groups reported a larger decrease in IPV (an average of 20 to 40 fewer incidents of violence) than the usual care groups by 2 years into the study.
Researchers also found that the retention rate of study participants was higher at the rural sites, with the exception of the 12-month check-in.
Population of Focus: Pregnant Women
Links to Resources:
- Learn more about the Domestic Violence Enhanced Home Visitation Program
- Read the informational packet
- Read the article, Domestic Violence Enhanced Perinatal Home Visits: The DOVE Randomized Clinical Trial
- Read the article, Engaging and Retaining Abused Women in Perinatal Home Visitation Programs
- Read the Domestic Violence and Pregnancy fact sheet