Understanding the Needs of Spanish-Speaking First-Time Mothers in Nurse-Family Partnership: Quantitative Findings and Nurse Practice Insights.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the characteristics and needs of Spanish-speaking first-time mothers enrolled in the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) and to contextualize quantitative findings with observations from a bilingual nurse key informant regarding barriers, challenges, and service-access needs among Spanish-speaking clients.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional observational study combining quantitative data from mothers via retrospective chart review with qualitative insights from a single key informant interview with a Spanish-speaking nurse home visitor.

SETTING

A Texas NFP program serving low-income, first-time mothers.

PARTICIPANTS

Quantitative data were collected from 305 first-time mothers enrolled in NFP, including 62 Spanish-speaking and 243 non-Spanish-speaking participants. Qualitative data were collected through a recorded 50-min semistructured interview in English with a bilingual NFP nurse who primarily serves Spanish-speaking mothers.

METHODS

Quantitative data from routine NFP home visits were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and independent-samples t tests to compare Spanish-speaking and non-Spanish-speaking participants. Measures included demographics, insurance type, health behaviors, depression, anxiety, intimate partner violence, and referrals to services. The nurse interview was analyzed using thematic analysis to contextualize the quantitative findings.

RESULTS

Quantitative analyses showed that Spanish-speaking participants differed from non-Spanish-speaking participants across several sociodemographic, insurance, health behavior, mental health, and referral outcomes. Spanish-speaking participants reported lower depression, anxiety, and intimate partner violence. The nurse interview generated four themes: complex systems navigation; trust building as the foundation for engagement; language, cultural, and structural barriers; and resilience-based nursing practice.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the distinct needs and contextual challenges of Spanish-speaking first-time mothers enrolled in NFP and underscores the value of bilingual, culturally responsive, and relationship-centered home-visiting practices to support system navigation, client engagement, and access to maternal health and community resources.