Parental compliance after screening social development in toddlers

Area of Science:

• Child Development
• Public Health Screening
• Social Pediatrics

Background:

• Early identification of social development problems in children is crucial.
• Parental compliance with diagnostic follow-up is essential for effective intervention.
• Understanding factors influencing compliance can improve screening program outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine parental compliance rates with follow-up measurements after positive social development screening.
• To identify demographic, screening-related, and child-specific factors associated with parental compliance.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage screening design was employed in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
• 31,724 children were initially screened at 14-15 months; 364 underwent a second screen or clinical evaluation.
• Compliance was measured by attendance at recommended second screenings or clinical evaluations.

Main Results:

• 69% of parents (255/370) complied with a second screening after a positive initial screen.
• Compliance rates varied: 68% early (within 6 months), 14% late (after 6 months), 18% noncompliant.
• Noncompliance was higher in younger children and those identified via population screening; higher cognitive skills/lower screening scores were associated with less compliance.

Conclusions:

• Surveillance screening appears more effective than population screening for ensuring children receive necessary clinical evaluations.
• Screening can be a valuable second step following surveillance to identify children needing further assessment.
• Targeted strategies may be needed to improve compliance in specific subgroups.