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Towards a holistic framework: a scoping review protocol to map early childhood development services
Mehrdad Amir-Behghadami1,2,3, Jafar-Sadegh Tabrizi1,4, Seifollah Heidarabady5
1Student Research Committee (SRC), Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran behghadami.m@gmail.com js.tabrizi@gmail.com.
Insights
This scoping review maps global early childhood development (ECD) services, identifying components and strategies to optimize interventions for child health and development. Findings will inform comprehensive ECD program design.
Area of Science:
- Child Development
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Early childhood development (ECD) services are crucial for improving child health and developmental outcomes globally.
- These programs target children under 5, including those healthy, at-risk, or with developmental disorders.
- ECD services are implemented across governmental and non-governmental organizations in health and non-health sectors worldwide.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically map and synthesize existing evidence on the components, implementation strategies, and delivery mechanisms of ECD services worldwide.
- To inform the development of optimized and comprehensive interventions supporting holistic child development.
- To provide a roadmap for enhancing child health and preventing developmental disorders, particularly within the Iranian health system.
Main Methods:
- A scoping review utilizing Arksey and O'Malley's framework and recent advances.
- Comprehensive searches of multiple databases (PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, etc.) up to December 2024, without time or language restrictions.
- Independent screening and data extraction by two researchers, with discrepancies resolved by consensus or a third researcher. Content analysis for synthesis.
Main Results:
- The review will systematically map the global landscape of ECD service components, implementation strategies, and delivery mechanisms.
- Evidence synthesis will identify effective approaches for optimizing ECD interventions.
- Findings will highlight current gaps and best practices in worldwide ECD service delivery.
Conclusions:
- This review will offer a novel perspective for developing comprehensive ECD service packages.
- The findings will guide researchers and stakeholders in enhancing child health and preventing developmental disorders.
- The study provides a detailed roadmap for optimizing global ECD interventions.
Introduction:
Programmes based on early childhood development (ECD) services play a vital role in improving child health and developmental outcomes. Across many countries, these programmes target children under 5 years of age-including those who are healthy, at risk or with developmental disorders-and are implemented in governmental and non-governmental organisations in both the health and non-health sectors globally. This protocol outlines a scoping review designed to systematically map and synthesise existing evidence on the components, implementation strategies and delivery mechanisms of ECD services worldwide. The review aims to inform the development of optimised and comprehensive interventions that support holistic child development.
Methods And Analysis:
This review will be conducted by Arksey and O'Malley's framework and its recent advances. Several databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science, Scientific Information Database, Magiran, IranMedex and Barakat knowledge network system, will be initially searched for studies up to December 2024. All searches will be done for published or unpublished articles/reports without time and language restrictions. Two researchers will independently carry out screening of the included studies and extraction of data. Any discrepancies will be resolved by consensus. In case no initial consensus is reached, a third researcher will be consulted to make a decision. The findings will be synthesised through the content-analysis method.
Ethics And Dissemination:
The findings of this review may offer a novel perspective for developing a comprehensive package of ECD services within the Iranian health system. Furthermore, it provides a detailed roadmap for researchers and stakeholders aiming to enhance child health and prevent developmental disorders. This study received ethical approval from Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (ID: IR.TBZMED.REC.1404.139), with no ethical concerns as it involves no patient participation or interventions.
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