Abstracto

Appearance validation of the general test for the Evaluation of Development (EVADE) for Children and Adolescents between 6 and 14 years old

Ana María Quezada-Ugalde, González-Serrano and Sunny Escuela de Enfermería

Introduction: The General Test for the Evaluation of Development (EVADE) for children and adolescents between 6 and 14 years old is the only national screening tool that values the children and adolescent’s development. This article presents the results obtained after submitting the test, the handbook and the standardized materials to the appearance validation process. Methodology: An exploratory descriptive study was completed, with a quantitative-qualitative methodology. A sample of 730 girls, boys and adolescents between 6 and 14 years of age was defined for the application of the test; the expert judgment technique was used. The analysis of the data was carried out through a psychometric analysis of the items, and by the triangulation method. Results: From the 730 participants included, 44.5% were from rural areas (n= 325) and 55.4% from urban areas (n= 405), by sex, they were valued n=378 (51.7%) girls and n=352 (48.2%) boys. The level of difficulty and the coefficient of discriminative effectiveness for the items were calculated, which together with the experts’ findings resulted in 22 modifications of items, and creation of 4 new items at the cognitive and language areas; also, the qualification was changed by areas, therefore the manual was improved, and new materials were created. Conclusions: The research provides a validated screening test for child and adolescent population, which was included in the Public Policy of integral care for the Costa Rican child population. However, it is recommended subsequent validation processes in order to improve specific areas like motor and socio affective.