THE SURVEY OF WELL-BEING OF YOUNG CHILDREN: RESULTS OF A FEASIBILITY STUDY WITH AMERICAN INDIAN AND ALASKA NATIVE COMMUNITIES

Abstract

This study examined the feasibility of the Survey of Well-Being of Young Children (SWYC), a new screener for socioemotional and developmental problems and family risk in children birth to age 5 years, for use in American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) communities. A Community of Learning within the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center, composed of university researchers, tribal early childhood program staff and evaluators, and federal partners, utilized a community-based participatory research approach to guide this qualitative study. Thirty-two focus groups and 20 key informant interviews (N = 199) were conducted with staff from Head Start, Home Visiting, and Child Care programs; pediatricians; behavioral health providers; parents of young children; tribal leaders; and other stakeholders in seven diverse AIAN communities. Three themes emerged: (a) a strong need to screen early for socioemotional and developmental problems and family risk; (b) the importance of a carefully designed process for screening; and (c) the importance of examining the content of the SWYC for cultural fit specific to tribal communities. Findings support two recommendations: (a) the development of guidelines for using the SWYC in tribal early childhood settings and (b) a full-scale validation study to determine appropriate use with and norms for children in tribal communities.

Keywords: Alaska Native; American Indian; Entwicklungs-Screening; Indien d'Amérique; Indo-Amerikaner; Indígenas Norteamericanos; Kultur; Nativos de Alaska; Ureinwohner Alaskas; Validität; cultura; culture; detección de desarrollo; developmental screening; dépistage du développemen; natifs d'Alaska; validez; validity; validité; アメリカインディアンAmerican Indian; アラスカ原住民Alaska Native; 妥当性validity; 文化; 文化culture; 有效性; 発達スクリーニングdevelopmental screening; 發展篩選; 美國印第安人; 阿拉斯加原居民.