Predictive validity of the Denver developmental screening test (Denver-II) to detect risk of developmental...

The Denver-II is widely used as a screening tool, however, no studies were found about its validity to predict the risk of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) in preterm children.

To verify the predictive validity and accuracy of the Denver-II to identify the risk of DCD in preterm children.

Methodological study with 121 preterm children, evaluated with the Denver-II at ages 1, 2, 3, 4 and/or 5 years and with the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC-2) at 7 years. Univariate binary logistic regression analyses were performed and ROC curves were derived.

Children classified as suspect by Denver-II at 2, 3, and 4 years were, respectively, 3.45, 7.40 and 6.06 times more likely to have a risk of DCD on the MABC-2 (p < 0.05). The area under the ROC curve was considered fair for ages 2 (0.60, 95 % CI 0.50-0.70), 3 (0.61, 95 % CI 0.51-0.71) and 4 (0.64, 95 % CI 0.54-0.74) years. The greater the number of suspects in Denver-II over time, the greater the probability of risk of DCD in the MABC-2 (p < 0.001).

Global developmental assessment with the Denver-II at ages 2 to 4 years is considered to have fair accuracy to discriminate risk of DCD at school age in children born preterm.