Survey Results

Survey Items: K6Q01; K6Q02; K6Q03; K6Q04; K6Q05; K6Q06; K6Q07; K6Q08; K6Q09

Denominator: Children age 4 months-5 years

Numerator: Children whose parents reported: no concerns; one or more concerns

Revisions and Changes: Same as the 2007 and 2003 NSCH; may compare across survey years with special attention to the addition of cell phones in the 2011/12 NSCH sample.

Additional Notes: Questions and scoring methods for Indicators 2.1 and 2.2 are adapted from the Parents’ Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) Manual, 2nd edition, © 2013. Glascoe FP, Marks KP, Poon JK, Macias MM (eds). "Identifying and Addressing Developmental-Behavioral Problems: A Practical Guide for Medical and Non-Medical Professionals, Trainees, Researchers and Advocates." Nolensville, TN: PEDStest, LLC, 2013 www.pedstest.com. The PEDS is a standardized child development screening tool designed to identify young children who are at risk for developmental, behavioral or social delay. The NSCH uses a non-clinical version (survey version) of the PEDS. The PEDS is copyright protected and may be used only with permission of the publisher. Researchers interested in analyzing the PEDS data should consult the PEDS documentation for scoring instructions. (Health care providers wishing to use PEDS in practice to assess risk status or to make decisions about developmental status for individual children must use the clinical version of the test. The clinical version was not used for the NSCH.) The clinical version is considered the gold standard as it contains open-ended items for parents to explain their concerns. For further information visit the PEDS website at: http://www.pedstest.com.
For further information on the Survey version of the PEDS, see Glascoe FP, "Collaborating with Parents: Using Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) to Detect and Address Developmental Problems.
Indicator 2.1 is derived from a count of responses to age-appropriate subsets of the nine PEDS© questions (K6Q01-K6Q09). Parents of all children age 4 months through 5 years, were asked if they have concerns about their child's development (K6Q01). The remaining questions were asked as appropriate for the child's age: 4 - 17 months, 18 months - 2 years, 3 - 4 years, and 5 years.
Section 6 questions were asked only for children less than 6 years old.

Treatment of Unknown Values: Unknown values (responses coded as 'refused', 'don't know', or system missing) are not included in the denominator when calculating prevalence estimates and weighted population counts displayed in the data query results table. In nearly every case, the proportion of unknown values is less than 1% and the exclusion of these values does not change the prevalence estimates (%) and only marginally affects the weighted population counts (Weighted Est.). Exceptions are noted in the form of a “Data Alert” at the bottom of a results table.

History and Development: The Maternal and Child Health Bureau leads the development of the NSCH survey and indicators, in collaboration with the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) and a national technical expert panel. The expert panel includes representatives from other federal agencies, state Title V leaders, family organizations, and child health researchers. Previously validated questions and scales are used when available. Respondents’ cognitive understanding of the survey questions is assessed during the pretest phase and revisions made as required. All final data components are verified by NCHS and DRC/CAHMI staff prior to public release. The samples in 2003 and 2007 were drawn by random digit dial telephone sampling. The 2011/12 survey included the addition of cell phones to the sample. This has implications for the comparability of items between 2007 and 2011/12. More information can be found in the “Learn About the Surveys” section of this website.