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Published on: February 25, 2016
Developmental characteristics of young children in a low-income South African community
Shabnam Abdoola1, De Wet Swanepoel1, Marien Alet Graham2
1Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa.
Insights
Early childhood development is crucial. Over half of South African children assessed showed signs of developmental delay, with prevalence increasing with age and varying by gender, impacting motor and adaptive behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
Background:
- Early childhood development is essential for lifelong success.
- Understanding developmental trajectories in specific populations is key for targeted early intervention.
- Limited data exists on developmental profiles for children in South Africa.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the prevalence of developmental delays in young South African children.
- To identify factors influencing developmental outcomes, including age and gender.
- To contribute data on developmental characteristics for early intervention planning.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 353 caregivers and their children (mean age 17.9 months) from a primary healthcare clinic.
- Utilized the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III to identify developmental delays.
- Employed logistic regression analysis to examine the effects of age and gender.
Main Results:
- Over half (51.8%) of the children exhibited signs of developmental delay.
- Developmental delay prevalence increased significantly with age, from 33.1% (under 12 months) to over 60% (13-36 months).
- Females were more likely to show no delay in general, motor, and adaptive behavior domains. One-third had poor adaptive behavior functioning, potentially linked to cultural factors.
Conclusions:
- A significant proportion of young South African children experience developmental delays, particularly in motor and adaptive domains.
- Age and gender are critical factors influencing developmental trajectories.
- Findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive early intervention programs in South Africa.
Abstract:
Adequate early childhood development is critical for later-life success. Developmental profiles of specific populations are required to support implementation of early intervention services. Three hundred fifty-three caregivers of children with mean age 17.9 months (SD = 10.5) were selected from a primary healthcare clinic. Overall positive identification of signs of a developmental delay, with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development III, was 51.8% (n = 183). Logistic regression analysis determined the effect of age and gender on results. Prevalence of developmental delay increased with age from 33.1% for children under 12 months to 61.7% and 66.3% for children between 13-24 months and 25-36 months, respectively. Females were 1.82 times (95% CI [1.16, 2.85]) more likely to have had no signs of developmental delay; 2.30 times (95% CI [1.14, 4.65]) in motor and 2.06 times (95% CI [1.23, 3.45]) in adaptive behaviour domains. One-third of children presented with low levels of adaptive behaviour functioning. One hundred and one (28.6%) participants across age groups displayed superior social-emotional ability, possibly due to familial structures and relationships. One-third of children presented with poor adaptive behaviour function, attributed to cultural differences. This study contributes to information on developmental characteristics of children in South Africa.
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