title: Predictors of developmental surveillance completion at six months of age in south western Sydney.
abstract: While developmental surveillance programs promote early identification of child developmental problems, evidence has indicated suboptimal uptake. This study aimed to identify predictors of developmental surveillance completion at 6 months postpartum.
  
  
  
  Questionnaires were administered to the parents of 510 infants who were born in south western Sydney, Australia over a 22-month period. Attendance for developmental screening and completion of the Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status (PEDS) at 6 months postpartum were modelled separately using multivariable logistic regression.
  
  
  
  Developmental surveillance attendance was predicted by higher levels of maternal education, annual income and being informed about checks. PEDS completion at 6 months of age was predicted by higher income and being informed, as well as being married, employed, speaking English at home, full-term birth and the professional status of the practitioner completing the check.
  
  
  
  Barriers to developmental surveillance included low socioeconomic status, linguistic diversity and possible gaps in parental knowledge and professional education. Developmental surveillance rates may be increased by the addition of targeted parental and professional support within current universal frameworks.
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Overs
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Sydney Children's Hospitals Network, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Woolfenden
authors.affiliation: Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, VIC, Australia.|Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.|University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.|Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Jalaludin
authors.affiliation: Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.|Academic Unit of Child Psychiatry, South Western Sydney Local Health District Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Axelsson
authors.affiliation: Olga Tennison Autism Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dissanayake
authors.affiliation: Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.|South Western Sydney Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Descallar
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Child and Family Health, New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Beasley
authors.affiliation: Child and Family Health, New South Wales Ministry of Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.|South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.|Ingham Institute for Applied Medical Research, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Eapen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002657:Child Development; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003144:Communication Barriers; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D009517:New South Wales; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status; cultural and linguistic diversity; developmental surveillance; socioeconomic disadvantage