Preliminary Results of the Macedonian-Adapted Version of Ages and Stages Developmental Questionnaires.

CONTEXT

Early detection of developmental problems is critical, and interventions are more effective when they are carried out early in a child's life. In Macedonia, there are only four centers providing early intervention services.

AIMS

In this research, we determined the reliability of the translation and adaptation of Ages and Stages Questionnaires 3 edition (ASQ-3-M) for assessment of children aged 3-5 years old in Macedonia, and reported preliminary results of the gender differences in the development.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

ASQ-3-M was completed by 165 parents and 40 educators in seven kindergarten classrooms. Children were 3-5 years old.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED

Cronbach's alpha, Intraclass Correlation coefficient (ICC), and interrater reliability (IRR) were used to assess ASQ-3-M psychometric properties. The Bayesian -test was performed to estimate the difference in means between males and females.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.65 to 0.87. The overall ICC was 0.89 (ranged from 0.8 to 0.95), which indicates a strong to almost perfect strength of agreement between test-retest. IRR correlation revealed an average of 0.88 (ranged from 0.74 to 0.95), suggesting that ASQ-3-M is reliable and stable.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from the comparison between males and females on all dimensions of ASQ-3-M were not statistically significant (BF10 <3), indicating no significant gender difference. That said, the ASQ-3 is recommended for routine use in screening children aged 3-5 years old.