Validating a Culturally Adapted Developmental Screening Battery for Nigerian Children Aged 0 to 5 Years: A Standardisation Study

This study undertakes the standardisation and validation of a culturally adapted developmental screening battery for Nigerian children from birth to five years, addressing a critical measurement gap in Nigerian developmental psychology and paediatric practice. Existing developmental screening tools used in Nigerian health and educational settings, including the Denver Developmental Screening Test and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, were standardised on Western populations and may misclassify Nigerian children due to cultural differences in developmental expectations, linguistic context, and caregiving practices. Phase 1 involved systematic item generation through focus groups with 120 paediatric experts, developmental psychologists, caregivers, and community health workers across 12 states representing all geopolitical zones. Phase 2 piloted the resulting 96-item Nigerian Child Developmental Screening Battery with 360 children, applying item response theory analysis to eliminate poorly performing items. Phase 3 standardised the final 72-item battery with a nationally stratified normative sample of 3,600 children, developing age-specific normative bands by zone, urbanicity, and socioeconomic stratum. Criterion validity was established against gold-standard assessments including the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, Third Edition. Results demonstrate strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity. Sensitivity and specificity for identifying developmental delay exceeded 82 percent against criterion standards. The Nigerian Child Developmental Screening Battery constitutes a landmark psychometric contribution to Nigerian developmental science. Keywords: developmental screening, standardisation, Nigerian children, cultural adaptation, validation.