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Published on: August 25, 2014
Screening for Developmental Delays in Primary Health Care in Northeastern Brazil
Francilena Ribeiro Bessa1, Katia Virgínia Viana-Cardoso2, José Davi Nunes Martins2
1Centro Universitário FAMETRO-UNIFAMETRO, Fortaleza, Brazil.
Insights
A study in Brazil found a high frequency of suspected neurodevelopmental delays (NDD) in young children. The Survey of Well-Being of Young Children-Brazilian version (SWYC-BR) is a reliable tool for identifying these developmental concerns.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Developmental Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Early identification of neurodevelopmental delays (NDD) is crucial for timely intervention.
- The Survey of Well-Being of Young Children-Brazilian version (SWYC-BR) is a tool for assessing child development.
- Limited data exists on NDD frequency and SWYC-BR psychometric properties in Brazil.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the frequency of suspected NDD in young Brazilian children.
- To evaluate the measurement properties and usability of the SWYC-BR.
- To assess the feasibility of SWYC-BR for early detection in primary care.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study in Northeastern Brazil with 645 mother/caregiver-child dyads (2–65 months).
- Administered SWYC-BR and socioeconomic questionnaire.
- Assessed SWYC-BR test-retest reliability, internal consistency, and construct validity of the Developmental Milestones questionnaire (DM-SWYC).
Main Results:
- Frequency of suspected NDD was 37.9%.
- SWYC-BR demonstrated high test-retest reliability (>0.75) and good internal consistency (0.56–0.97).
- 85.7% of caregivers found SWYC-BR easy to use; 95.8% enjoyed responding.
Conclusions:
- High prevalence of suspected NDD underscores the need for focused early child development programs.
- SWYC-BR is a well-accepted, valid, and reliable tool for identifying children needing enhanced primary care monitoring.
- The findings support SWYC-BR's implementation in Brazilian primary healthcare settings.
Objective:
To estimate the frequency of suspected neurodevelopmental delays (NDD) and to investigate the measurement properties and usability of the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children-Brazilian version (SWYC-BR).
Methods:
We conducted a cross-sectional study in Basic Health care Units in Northeastern Brazil. The participants were 645 mothers/caregivers of children between 2 and 65 months of age who completed the SWYC-BR and a socioeconomic questionnaire. We estimated the frequency of suspected NDD using the SWYC-BR, assessed the respondents' experience with the questionnaire, and examined test-retest reliability and internal consistency of the SWYC-BR items, as well as the construct validity of the Developmental Milestones questionnaire (DM-SWYC).
Results:
The sample consisted primarily of families residing in urban areas and belonging to very low socioeconomic classes. The frequency of suspected NDD was 37.9%. The internal consistency of the SWYC-BR ranged from 0.56 to 0.97, and the test-retest reliability of the items was high (>0.75). Significant associations with risk factors for developmental delays confirmed the construct validity of the DM-SWYC. Most mothers/caregivers found the SWYC-BR easy to respond (85.7%) and enjoyed responding to the questions (95.8%).
Conclusion:
The high frequency of suspected NDD highlights the need for special attention to early child development. The SWYC-BR was well accepted, and its measurement properties were confirmed, demonstrating its feasibility in identifying children requiring closer primary health care monitoring.
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