ERIC Number: EJ1398556
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2023
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0300-4430
EISSN: EISSN-1476-8275
Combined Screening of Early Childhood Development, Hearing and Vision by Community Health Workers Using mHealth Tools in a Low-Income Community
Fuchs, Kirsty; van der Linde, Jeannie; Eccles, Renata; Swanepoel, De Wet; Graham, Marien Alet; du Toit, Maria
Early Child Development and Care, v193 n9-10 p1055-1066 2023
Children in low-income communities are at risk for developmental delays and sensory losses. mHealth screening tools enable community health workers to detect developmental delays and sensory losses. This study aims to describe a combined (developmental and sensory -- hearing and vision) mHealth-supported screening programme conducted by community healthcare workers with children aged four-six years (n = 63) at early childhood development centres in a low-income community. Early childhood development practitioners (n = 5) assisted with developmental screening. Referral rates were 30% (n = 19) for development, 6% (n = 4) for hearing and 5% (n = 3) for vision. The average screening time for combined screenings was 11.72 min (SD 3.45 min). Post screening questionnaires probing participants' perspectives and experiences of the combined screening were positive. A combined mHealth-supported screening programme conducted by community health workers and early childhood development practitioners appears viable, supporting early detection of developmental delays and sensory losses in children from low-income communities.
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Screening Tests, Auditory Tests, Vision Tests, Low Income Groups, Preschool Children, Child Development Centers, Community Health Services, Hearing Impairments, Visual Impairments, Telecommunications, Handheld Devices, Program Effectiveness, Identification, Developmental Delays, Health Personnel, Early Childhood Teachers, Referral
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: South Africa
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A