Population-Level Data on Child Development at School Entry Reflecting Social Determinants of Health: A Narrative Review of Studies Using the Early Development Instrument.

Magdalena Janus,Martin Guhn,Barry Forer,Noam Raiter,Caroline Reid-Westoby

doi:10.3390/ijerph18073397

Abstract

Background: The Early Development Instrument (EDI) was developed as a population-level assessment of children’s developmental health at school entry. EDI data collection has created unprecedented opportunities for population-level studies on children’s developmental outcomes. The goal of this narrative review was to synthesize research using the EDI to describe how it contributes to expanding the understanding of the impacts of social determinants on child development and how it applies to special populations. Methods: Select studies published in peer-reviewed scientific journals between 2015 and 2020 and incorporating the social determinants of health perspectives were chosen to highlight the capability of the EDI to monitor children’s developmental health and contribute knowledge in the area of early childhood development. Results: A number of studies have examined the association between several social determinants of health and children’s developmental outcomes, including hard-to-reach and low-frequency populations of children. The EDI has also been used to evaluate programs and interventions in different countries. Conclusions: The ability of the EDI to monitor children’s developmental outcomes in various populations has been consistently demonstrated. The EDI, by virtue of its comprehensive breadth and census-like collection, widens the scope of research relating to early childhood development and its social determinants of health.

Highlights

Over 20 years ago, Dan Keating and Clyde Hertzman formulated a framework connecting early child development with the wealth and health of nations [1], introducing the term “developmental health.” This term was created to emphasize the intersection between different aspects of health, operationalizing the World Health Organization’s definition of health, described as more than just the absence of illness
We provide a narrative review of select studies using Early Development Instrument (EDI) data to address three questions related to the theme of the Special Issue and discuss remaing gaps and limitations, as well as future opportunties for population-based developmental health and social determinants of health (SDOH) research, in order to inform policy-making that enhances population health
By 2007, when the first peer-reviewed paper was published on the development and psychometric properties of the EDI [9], there were already seven papers published on the relationship between neighborhood-level EDI scores and their associated socioeconomic and demographic contexts

Summary

Introduction

Over 20 years ago, Dan Keating and Clyde Hertzman formulated a framework connecting early child development with the wealth and health of nations [1], introducing the term “developmental health.” This term was created to emphasize the intersection between different aspects of health, operationalizing the World Health Organization’s definition of health, described as more than just the absence of illness. Over 20 years ago, Dan Keating and Clyde Hertzman formulated a framework connecting early child development with the wealth and health of nations [1], introducing the term “developmental health.”. This term was created to emphasize the intersection between different aspects of health, operationalizing the World Health Organization’s definition of health, described as more than just the absence of illness. It is widely recognized that developmental health extends beyond cognitive abilities and combines children’s physical, mental, social, and emotional well-being [1,3].

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