Success at Scale: Outcomes of Community-Based Neurodevelopment Intervention (CASITA) for Children Ages 6-20 months With Risk of Delay in Lima, Peru

Child Dev. 2021 Nov;92(6):e1275-e1289. doi: 10.1111/cdev.13602. Epub 2021 Jun 11.

Abstract

This study is a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week community-based group parenting intervention ("CASITA") in Lima, Peru. CASITA improved neurodevelopment in a pilot study of 60 Peruvian children and subsequently scaled to 3,000 households throughout the district. The objective of this study was to assess intervention effectiveness when implemented at scale. A total of 347 children ages 6-20 months (52.7% male, 100% identified as "mestizo") at risk for developmental difficulties were randomized to immediate or delayed CASITA. At 3 months after enrollment, the immediate arm showed significantly higher overall development, based on the Extended Ages and Stages Questionnaire and Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment scores (Cohen's ds = .36 and .31, respectively). Programs demonstrably effective at scale could help address children's development risks worldwide.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Parenting*
  • Peru
  • Pilot Projects
  • Surveys and Questionnaires