Development and validation of an early childhood development scale for use in low-resourced settings

Dana Charles McCoy, Christopher R Sudfeld, David C Bellinger, Alfa Muhihi, Geofrey Ashery, Taylor E Weary, Wafaie Fawzi, Günther Fink, Dana Charles McCoy, Christopher R Sudfeld, David C Bellinger, Alfa Muhihi, Geofrey Ashery, Taylor E Weary, Wafaie Fawzi, Günther Fink

Abstract

Background: Low-cost, cross-culturally comparable measures of the motor, cognitive, and socioemotional skills of children under 3 years remain scarce. In the present paper, we aim to develop a new caregiver-reported early childhood development (ECD) scale designed to be implemented as part of household surveys in low-resourced settings.

Methods: We evaluate the acceptability, test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and discriminant validity of the new ECD items, subscales, and full scale in a sample of 2481 18- to 36-month-old children from peri-urban and rural Tanzania. We also compare total and subscale scores with performance on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development (BSID-III) in a subsample of 1036 children. Qualitative interviews from 10 mothers and 10 field workers are used to inform quantitative data.

Results: Adequate levels of acceptability and internal consistency were found for the new scale and its motor, cognitive, and socioemotional subscales. Correlations between the new scale and the BSID-III were high (r > .50) for the motor and cognitive subscales, but low (r < .20) for the socioemotional subscale. The new scale discriminated between children's skills based on age, stunting status, caregiver-reported disability, and adult stimulation. Test-retest reliability scores were variable among a subset of items tested.

Conclusions: Results of this study provide empirical support from a low-income country setting for the acceptability, reliability, and validity of a new caregiver-reported ECD scale. Additional research is needed to test these and other caregiver reported items in children in the full 0 to 3 year range across multiple cultural and linguistic settings.

Keywords: 0–3; Early child development; Low-income countries; Measurement; Validation.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Item selection tree
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Proportion children passing each motor item, by age (n = 2481)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Proportion children passing each cognitive item, by age (n = 2481)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Proportion children passing each socioemotional item, by age (n = 2481)
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Histogram of CREDI distribution and local polynomial graph of the relation between CREDI and BSID-III subscale scores (line w/95% CI): Motor (Panel a), Cognitive (Panel b), & Socioemotional (Panel c)

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Source: PubMed

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