abstract: 'Background: Families with low incomes experience an array of health and

  social challenges that compromise their resilience and lead to negative

  family outcomes. Along with financial constraints, there are barriers

  associated with mental and physical health, poorer education and

  language. In addition, vulnerable populations experience many services

  as markedly unhelpful. This combination of family and service barriers

  results in reduced opportunities for effective, primary-level services

  and an increased use of more expensive secondary-level services (e. g.,

  emergency room visits, child apprehensions, police involvement). A

  systematic review of effective interventions demonstrated that promotion

  of physical and mental health using existing service was critically

  important.

  Methods/Design: The Families First Edmonton Trial (FFE) tests four

  service integration approaches to increase use of available health and

  social services for families with low-income. It is a randomized,

  two-factor, single-blind, longitudinal effectiveness trial where

  low-income families (1168) were randomly assigned to receive either (1)

  Family Healthy Lifestyle plus Family Recreation service integration

  (Comprehensive), (2) Family Healthy Lifestyle service integration, (3)

  Family Recreation service integration, or (4) existing services. To be

  eligible families needed to be receiving one of five government income

  assistance programs. The trial was conducted in the City of Edmonton

  between January 2006 and August 2011. The families were followed for a

  total of three years of which interventional services were received for

  between 18 and 24 months. The primary outcome is the number of family

  linkages to health and social services as measured by a customized

  survey tool ``Family Services Inventory{''''}. Secondary outcomes include

  type and satisfaction with services, cost of services, family member

  health, and family functioning. Where possible, the measures for

  secondary outcomes were selected because of their standardization, the

  presence of published norming data, and their utility as comparators to

  other studies of low-income families. As an effectiveness trial,

  community and government partners participated in all committees through

  a mutually agreed upon governance model and helped manage and problem

  solve with researchers.

  Discussion: Modifications were made to the FFE trial based on the

  pragmatics of community-based trials.'
affiliation: 'Drummond, J (Corresponding Author), Univ Alberta, Edmonton Clin Hlth
  Acad, Fac Nursing, 11405 87 Ave, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada.

  Drummond, Jane, Univ Alberta, Edmonton Clin Hlth Acad, Fac Nursing, Edmonton, AB
  T6G 1C9, Canada.

  Schnirer, Laurie; So, Sylvia; Mayan, Maria, Univ Alberta, Fac Extens, Edmonton,
  AB T5J 4P6, Canada.

  Williamson, Deanna L., Univ Alberta, Fac Agr Life \& Environm Sci, Dept Human Ecol,
  Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada.

  Bisanz, Jeffrey, Univ Alberta, Fac Arts, Dept Psychol, Edmonton, AB T6G 2E9, Canada.

  Fassbender, Konrad, Univ Alberta, Fac Med Dent, Dept Oncol, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9,
  Canada.

  Wiebe, Natasha, Univ Alberta, Dept Med, Div Nephrol, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada.'
article-number: '223'
author: Drummond, Jane and Schnirer, Laurie and So, Sylvia and Mayan, Maria and Williamson,
  Deanna L. and Bisanz, Jeffrey and Fassbender, Konrad and Wiebe, Natasha
author-email: jane.drummond@ualberta.ca
author_list:
- family: Drummond
  given: Jane
- family: Schnirer
  given: Laurie
- family: So
  given: Sylvia
- family: Mayan
  given: Maria
- family: Williamson
  given: Deanna L.
- family: Bisanz
  given: Jeffrey
- family: Fassbender
  given: Konrad
- family: Wiebe
  given: Natasha
da: '2023-09-28'
doi: 10.1186/1472-6963-14-223
eissn: 1472-6963
files: []
journal: BMC HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
keywords: 'Low-income families; Service integration; Healthy families; Recreation;

  Pragmatic trial'
keywords-plus: 'WELFARE-TO-WORK; MENTAL-HEALTH PROBLEMS; HOME VISITATION; EARLY

  INTERVENTION; EDUCATION-PROGRAM; CHILDREN; CARE; MOTHERS; PREVALENCE;

  CHILDHOOD'
language: English
month: MAY 19
number-of-cited-references: '99'
orcid-numbers: Wiebe, Natasha/0000-0002-5613-1582
papis_id: 5ee9c6a182c92a4323ab94a9c3d8c876
ref: Drummond2014protocolfamilies
researcherid-numbers: Wiebe, Natasha/V-7803-2019
times-cited: '7'
title: 'The protocol for the Families First Edmonton trial (FFE): a randomized community-based
  trial to compare four service integration approaches for families with low-income'
type: article
unique-id: WOS:000337324000001
usage-count-last-180-days: '0'
usage-count-since-2013: '15'
volume: '14'
web-of-science-categories: Health Care Sciences \& Services
year: '2014'