Child development assessment tools in low-income and middle-income countries: how can we use them more appropriately?
review · Level V
Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 25825411.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1136/archdischild-2014-308114 and PMC identifier 4413834.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Global emphasis has shifted beyond reducing child survival rates to improving health and developmental trajectories in childhood. Optimum early childhood experience is believed to allow children to benefit fully from educational opportunities resulting in improved human capital. Investment in early childhood initiatives in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) is increasing. These initiatives use early childhood developmental assessment tools (CDATs) as outcome measures. CDATs are also key measures in the evaluation of programmatic health initiatives in LMICs, influencing public health policy. Interpretation of CDAT outcomes requires understanding of their structure and psychometric properties. This article reviews the structure and main methods of CDAT development with specific considerations when applied in LMICs.
Medical subject headings
- Child Development
- Child Health Services
- Child Welfare
- Developing Countries
- Developmental Disabilities