Skip to main content
. 2017 Dec 27;7(12):e015707. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-015707

Table 4.

Child development outcomes as reported across studies included in the systematic review

Study Measure Assessment Child age in months Intervention Control Cohen’s d Other statistics
n Mean SD n Mean SD
PI Behaviour
Barlow et al 59 Total problem score BITSEA* Q 12 55 33.52 38.81 49 35.55 39.63 0.05 (−0.33; 0.44)
Competence BITSEA Q 12 53 14.06 3.65 43 13.37 3.53 0.19 (−0.21; 0.60)
BRS O 12 62 38.37 5.71 59 38.69 5.5 −0.06 (−0.41; 0.30)
Høivik et al 45 Total score ASQ:SE Q ~9–10 37 27 0.40 (−0.10; 0.90) β=−7.22, SD of DV=18.51†
Salomonsson and Sandell52 Total score ASQ:SE* Q ~11 38 1.00 0.72 37 1.14 0.70 0.20 (−0.26; 0.65) Becker’s δ=0.25(adjusted for baseline ASQ:SE)
Sierau et al 55 Internalising CBCL* Q 24 167 9.51 5.95 159 9.94 5.65 0.07 (−0.14; 0.29)
Externalising CBCL* Q 24 172 15.93 7.56 164 15.34 7.23 0.08 (−0.13; 0.29)
BRS O 24 160 53.10 26.74 142 57.13 27.79 −0.15 (−0.37; 0.08)
Fergusson et al 57 Externalising ITSEA (short) Q ~36 207 184 0.19 (−0.01; 0.39) Cohen’s d provided in paper
Internalising ITSEA (short) Q ~36 207 184 0.26 (0.06; 0.47) Cohen’s d provided in paper
Total problem score ITSEA (50 items) Q ~36 207 184 0.24 (0.04; 0.44) Cohen’s d provided in paper
Kaminski et al 36 DECA behavioural concerns Q 36 126 78 −0.12(−0.48; 0.25) ‡ OR=0.81 (0.42; 1.56)
DECA socioemotional problems Q 36 127 79 −0.04 (−0.49; 0.43)‡ OR=0.93 (0.41; 2.17)
Kaminski et al 36 DECA behavioural concerns Q 60 121 73 0.32 (−0.07; 0.7)‡ OR=1.78 (0.88; 3.57)
DECA socioemotional problems Q 60 122 73 0.00 (−0.48; 0.49)‡ OR=1.00 (0.42; 2.44)
SDQ conduct problems Q 60 122 73 0.18 (−0.14; 0.52)‡ OR=1.39 (0.77; 2.56)
SDQ hyperactivity1 Q 60 121 73 0.31 (−0.21; 0.84)‡ OR=1.75 (0.69; 4.55)
SDQ peer problems Q 60 121 73 −0.14(−0.52; 0.24) ‡ OR=0.78 (0.39; 1.54)
Mendelsohn et al 48 Total problem score CBCL* Q 33 52 50.2 10.0 47 53.2 9.7 0.30 (−0.09; 0.70)
Externalising CBCL* Q 33 52 50.0 9.8 47 51.8 9.4 0.19 (−0.21; 0.58)
Internalising CBCL* Q 33 52 52.9 9.9 47 53.8 9.3 0.09 (−0.30; 0.49)
Katz et al 46 BRS O 12 73 51 0.83 (−0.43; 2.09)‡ Normal/non-optimal: intervention—72/1; control—48/3; OR=4.5 (0.45; 44.55)
PI Cognitive development
Barlow et al 59 MDI O 12 62 93.74 10.98 59 93.03 10.89 0.06 (−0.29; 0.42)
Katz et al 46 MDI O 12 73 101.0 12.4 51 101.4 17.3 −0.03 (−0.39; 0.33)
Taylor et al 42 MDI O ~15 50 99.3 14.8 50 100.4 14.3 −0.08 (−0.47; 0.32)§
Sierau et al 55 MDI O 24 180 87.37 14.74 167 87.64 14.74 −0.02 (−0.23; 0.19)
Bridgeman et al 47 Intelligence Standford-Binet O 36 46 104.22 10.36 52 96.69 12.20 0.66 (0.25; 1.07) R=0.49 (including all independent variables)
Concept attainment CFI O 36 38 33.39 4.69 43 28.02 7.01 0.89 (0.43; 1.35)
Perception Pacific test series O 36 32 32.09 5.29 42 30.00 6.86 0.34 (−0.13; 0.80)
Mendelsohn et al 48 MDI O 33 52 86.1 7.5 45 83.9 9.7 0.26 (−0.14; 0.66)
PI Psychomotor development
Katz et al 46 PDI O 12 73 95.1 13.6 51 93.1 11.9 0.15 (−0.20; 0.51)
Taylor et al 42 PDI O ~15 50 103.6 11.5 50 100 12.4 0.30 (−0.09; 0.70)§
Sierau et al 55 PDI O 24 180 92.86 15.08 167 92.81 14.10 0.00 (−0.21; 0.21)
PI Communication/language
Bridgeman et al 47, 1981, New Orleans, Louisiana Ammons O 36 34 13.44 3.38 38 11.11 3.09 0.72 (0.24; 1.20)
Mendelsohn et al 48 PLS-3 O 33 52 80.7 10.2 45 81.1 10.6 −0.04 (−0.44; 0.36)
Sierau et al 55 ELFRA O 24 169 102.64 64.69 161 107.84 66.63 −0.08 (−0.30; 0.14)
SETK-2 O 24 141 0.78 0.58 128 0.80 0.61 −0.03 (−0.27; 0.21)
SF Behaviour
Høivik et al 201545 ASQ:SE Q ~15–16 26 27 1.05 (0.47; 1.62) β=−13.79, SD of DV=15.02†
MF Behaviour
Kaminski et al 36 DECA behavioural concerns Q 48 124 78 0.26 (−0.14; 0.66)‡ OR=1.61 (0.78; 333)
DECA socioemotional problems Q 48 124 78 0.00 (−0.55; 0.55)‡ OR=1.00 (0.37; 2.70)
SDQ conduct problems Q 48 124 78 0.18 (−0.14; 0.51)‡ OR=1.39 (0.77; 2.5)
SDQ hyperactivity1 Q 48 124 78 −0.37(−0.01; 0.26) ‡ OR=0.51 (0.16; 1.61)
SDQ peer problems Q 48 124 78 −0.12(−0.49; 0.26) ‡ OR=0.81 (0.41; 1.61)
LF Behaviour
Fergusson et al 58 SDQ* Q ~108 199 9.91 0.91 171 10.08 1.06 0.17 (−0.03; 0.38)
Kaminski et al 36 DECA behavioural concerns Q 60 116 71 0.27 (−0.21; 0.72)‡ OR=1.62 (0.69; 3.70)
DECA socioemotional problems Q 60 117 73 0.49 (0.05; 1.01)‡ OR=2.44 (1.10; 6.25)
SDQ conduct problems Q 60 116 71 −0.03(−0.39; 0.33) ‡ OR=0.94 (0.49; 1.82)
SDQ hyperactivity1 Q 60 116 71 0.17 (−0.37; 0.7)‡ OR=1.35 (0.51; 3.57)
SDQ peer problems Q 60 116 71 0.17 (−0.24; 0.58) ‡ OR=1.37 (0.65; 2.86)
Salomonsson et al 53 ASQ:SE Q 54 32 0.98 0.90 32 0.88 0.68 0.13 (−0.37; 0.62)
SDQ Qparent 54 32 8.17 5.54 31 7.39 5.19 0.15 (−0.35; 0.64)
SDQ Qteacher 54 24 5.71 4.32 27 6.59 5.31 −0.18 (−0.73; 0.37)
CGAS functioning Q 54 31 78.39 12.8 30 68.87 14.74 0.69 (0.17; 1.21)

Significant effect sizes are marked with bold.

*Reverse scoring—high score is negative.

†Adjusted for ASQ baseline score.

‡Calculation based on dichotomous outcome.

§No control group. Two interventions were compared.

ASQ:SE, Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional; BITSEA, Brief Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment; BRS, Behavioural Rating Scale; CBCL, Child Behaviour Checklist; CFI, Concept Familiarity Index; CGAS, Children’s Global Assessment Scale; DECA, Devereux Early Childhood Assessment; DV, dependent variable; ELFRA, Elternfragebögen für die Früherkennung von Risikokindern; ITSEA, Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment; LF, long-term follow-up (>12 months postintervention); MDI, Mental Developmental Index; MF, mid-term follow-up (7–12 months); O, observation; PDI, Psychomotor Development Index; PI, postintervention; PLS-3, Preschool Language Scale; Q, questionnaire; SDQ, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires; SETK-2, Sprachenentwicklungstest für zweijährige Kinder; SF, short-term follow-up (≤6 months postintervention); U, unadjusted.