Child development assessment tools in low-income and middle-income countries: how can we use them more appropriately?
Saraswathy Sabanathana b✉, Bridget A. Willsa c d, Melissa Gladstonee
- aOxford University Clinical Research Unit, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- bOxford University Clinical Research Unit, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, 764 Vo Van Kiet, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- cNuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- dOxford University Clinical Research Unit, Wellcome Trust Major Overseas Programme, Hospital for Tropical Diseases, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
- eDepartment of Women and Children's Health, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Alder Hey Children's NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
- ✉Corresponding author
Papers open inside SciRah from the original publisher or repository; SciRah never hosts them.
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.
TL;DRThe structure and main methods of CDAT development are reviewed with specific considerations when applied in LMICs, influencing public health policy. (Semantic Scholar)