Validation study of the Chinese Early Development Instrument (CEDI).
BACKGROUND
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a comprehensive instrument used to assess school readiness in preschool children. This study was carried out to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the EDI (CEDI) in Hong Kong.


METHODS
One hundred and sixty-seven children were purposefully sampled from kindergartens in two districts with very different socioeconomic statuses. The CEDI was assessed for concurrent validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The developmental vulnerability identified using the CEDI scores was further examined in relation to the socioeconomic status of the district and family.


RESULTS
The CEDI displayed adequate internal consistency, with Cronbach's alphas ranging from 0.70 to 0.95 on its five domains. Concurrent validity was supported by moderate and significant correlations (0.25 to 0.49) on the relevant domains between the CEDI and a comparable measure. The level of test-retest reliability was good, with a kappa statistic of 0.89. In general, girls outperformed boys, particularly in the social, emotional and communication/general knowledge domains. After controlling for the uneven distribution of sex, children from socioeconomically disadvantaged districts and families were found to be at greater risk of developmental vulnerability than their more advantaged counterparts.


CONCLUSIONS
The evidence gathered in this study supports the CEDI's use as a valid and reliable instrument in assessing school readiness and identifying developmentally vulnerable children in Chinese populations. Its preliminary findings on the socioeconomic gradients of child development suggest that the CEDI is a promising tool for leveraging evidence-based, context-sensitive policies and practices to foster the development of all children.
Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Queen Mary Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong, China. patricip@hku.hk.
Patrick
P
Ip
Sophia Ling
SL
Li
Nirmala
N
Rao
Sharon Sui Ngan
SS
Ng
Winnie Wai Sim
WW
Lau
Chun Bong
CB
Chow
D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014177:Translations