Eric Duku
Datos Biográficos
| ID | 299302 |
|---|---|
| NOMBRE | Eric Duku |
| NOMBRES | Eric |
| APELLIDO | Duku |
| FIRMA | DUKU E |
| AFILIACIONES | McMaster University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3599-3527 |
| VERIFICADO | Sí |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 44 |
| TOTAL DE CITAS | 75 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 44 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMER AÑO DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2001 |
| AÑO MÁS RECIENTE DE PUBLICACIÓN | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 4 |
Initial diagnosis patterns of coexisting mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions in autistic children and youth
BACKGROUND: Elevated prevalence of coexisting health conditions has been observed in autistic people, yet how the timing of their initial diagnoses varies by sex and age of autism diagnosis remains understudied. Using a person-centered approach, we examined the patterns of initial diagnosis for mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions among autistic children and youth identified from the general population. METHODS: The sample was drawn fr…
Adaptation and validation of the Washington group/unicef child functioning module in a nationally representative sample of Canadian children and youth
This study extends existing research by demonstrating the utility of the WG/UNICEF CFM in assessing cognitive, behavioral, interpersonal, and emotional functional difficulties at the population level in a high-income country. The measure's strong psychometric properties, ease of use, and cost-free administration support its applicability in general population health surveys of children and youth. Findings highlight the value of a dimensional appr…
Feasibility, acceptability and preliminary outcomes of the Parents Under Pressure program
Pre- versus post-Covid-19 pandemic comparison of kindergarten teacher-reported child development in multiple Canadian jurisdictions
Little is known so far about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young children. We assessed the effect of the pandemic on pre-existing developmental trends in this population-level, repeated cross-sectional cohort design study of child development at school entry, measured with the kindergarten teacher-completed Early Development Instrument (EDI) in the 10 years prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and two years after. Individual EDI d…
The Family-Check-Up® Autism Implementation Research (Fair) Study
Introduction Prevalence rates of emotional and behavior problems (EBP) in autistic children and youth are high (40–70%), and often cause severe and chronic impairment. Furthermore, autistic children are also more likely to experience family “social-ecological” adversity compared to neurotypically developing peers, including social isolation, child maltreatment, caregiver mental illness, and socioeconomic risk. These family stressors increase the …
Neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status and prevalence of teacher-reported health disorders among Canadian kindergarten children
Background The evidence on the association between neighborhood-level socioeconomic status (SES) and health disorders in young children is scarce. This study examined the prevalence of health disorders in Canadian kindergarten (5–6 years old) children in relation to neighborhood SES in 12/13 Canadian jurisdictions. Methods Data on child development at school entry for an eligible 1,372,980 children out of the total population of 1,435,428 childre…
Agricultural land use policies and landscape dynamics
Agricultural-land use policies play a crucial role in shaping agroecological landscapes globally. The evidence suggests that some of these policies tend to have undesired feedback/trade-offs, particularly about coastal resource use and conservation planning. The present study explores how agricultural policies influence land use/land cover (LULC) transition patterns in Ghana's Rain Forest Agroecological Zone (RFAZ). Landsat satellite images for 1…
Seroprevalence of Sars-CoV-2 antibodies among children receiving primary care in Toronto, Ontario
Disentangling global and domain‐level adaptive behavior trajectories among children with autism spectrum disorder
BACKGROUND: Heterogeneity in adaptive behavior abilities among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is expressed not only as uneven levels of impairment across domains, but also in the developmental trajectories of adaptive skills. We studied the question of whether, after accounting for global adaptive behavior development, we find evidence of heterogeneity in the trajectories of specific domains of adaptive behavior. METHODS: A sample of …
Continuity of trajectories of autism symptom severity from infancy to childhood
BACKGROUND: Behavioral symptom trajectories are informative of the development of young children at increased likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Developmental trajectories of early signs were examined in a cohort of siblings of children diagnosed with ASD (n = 502) from 6 to 18 months using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI), and from 18 months to 5-7 years using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS).…
Changes in urban green spaces in coastal cities and human well‐being
Green spaces are fast depleting in many urban areas across the world. This contributes to carbon dioxide emissions and affects the local climate and well‐being of city residents. Yet, there is limited empirical research on the spatio‐temporal patterns of change in urban green spaces and linkages to human well‐being, especially in coastal cities where urban green spaces additionally act as critical flood controls. This paper assesses the changing …
Middle‐childhood executive functioning mediates associations between early‐childhood autism symptoms and adolescent mental health, academic and functional outcomes in autistic children
BACKGROUND: Executive functioning (EF) varies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is associated with clinical symptoms, academic, and adaptive functioning. Here, we examined whether middle-childhood EF mediates associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent outcomes in children with ASD. METHODS: The Pathways in ASD Cohort comprising children recruited at the time of ASD diagnosis (at 2-4 years-of-age) and fol…
Characterizing the ASD–ADHD phenotype
BACKGROUND: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have considerable overlap, supporting the need for a dimensional framework that examines neurodevelopmental domains which cross traditional diagnostic boundaries. In the following study, we use factor analysis to deconstruct the ASD-ADHD phenotype into its underlying phenotypic domains and test for measurement invariance across adaptive functioning, age…
Predictors of language regression and its association with subsequent communication development in children with autism
BACKGROUND: Language regression, broadly defined as the loss of acquired language skills in early childhood, is a distinctive feature of autism. Little is known about the factors underlying regression or the prognosis of children who exhibit regression. We examine potential predictors of language regression and test its association with language development in a prospective longitudinal sample of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from …
Psychometric properties and factor structure of the Early Development Instrument in a sample of Jordanian children
Background Investing in children’s early years can have a lasting positive effect, such as better academic outcomes throughout their school careers. In Jordan, investments have been made in early childhood development and early childhood care and education to improve children’s school readiness. School readiness comprises a range of abilities needed to succeed in school, including physical, emotional, social, and cognitive skills. To measure the …
Rethinking Autism Intervention Science
Recent advances in longitudinal methodologies for observational studies have contributed to a better understanding of Autism as a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by within-person and between-person variability over time across behavioral domains. However, this finer-grained approach to the study of developmental variability has yet to be applied to Autism intervention science. The widely adopted experimental designs in the field-random…
Children’s screen use and school readiness at 4-6 years
Screen use in early childhood is associated with increased vulnerability in developmental readiness for school, with increased risk for poorer language and cognitive development in kindergarten, especially among high users
Population-Based Teacher-Rated Assessment of Anxiety Among Canadian Kindergarten Children
Despite anxiety being a prevalent mental health problem in children, little data exist on the pervasiveness and levels of anxiety symptoms in kindergarteners. Data from the Early Development Instrument, a teacher-completed, population-level measure of child development, were collected across Canada from 2004 to 2015. The final analytic sample consisted of 974,319 children of whom 2.6% were classified as "highly anxious". Compared to children who …
Preschool mental health
Despite the availability of effective early interventions, few preschoolers with mental health issues receive these services. This situation exists partly due to challenges in the identification of emotional and behavioral issues in young children. We developed the Brief Child and Family Intake and Outcomes System for Preschoolers, which is a 60-item standardized online parent questionnaire including three externalizing scales (Regulating Attenti…
Thriving, catching up, falling behind
Symptom trajectories in the first 18 months and autism risk in a prospective high‐risk cohort
BACKGROUND: Although early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) detection strategies tend to focus on differences at a point in time, behavioral symptom trajectories may also be informative. METHODS: Developmental trajectories of early signs of ASD were examined in younger siblings of children diagnosed with ASD (n = 499) and infants with no family history of ASD (n = 177). Participants were assessed using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI…
Effects of household chaos and parental responsiveness on child executive functions
These findings indicate that parental responsiveness may be compromised by household chaos, with implications for the executive functions of school-aged children. Preventative strategies are needed to improve the stability in the home and strengthen parenting practices
Does social capital flatten the social gradient in early childhood development? An ecological study of two provinces in Canada
Association between neighbourhood socioeconomic status and developmental vulnerability of kindergarten children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
There is limited knowledge about the relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) and development of kindergarten children with ASD. The primary objective of this study was to determine the association between neighbourhood SES and developmental vulnerability of kindergarten children with ASD while controlling for family SES across 10 provinces and territories in Canada. This study used data from a population level database of ch…
Exploring the Participation Patterns and Impact of Environment in Preschool Children with ASD
Participation in everyday activities at home and in the community is essential for children's development and well-being. Limited information exists about participation patterns of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines these participation patterns in both the home and community, and the extent to which environmental factors and social communication abilities are associated with participation. Fifty-four paren…
Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Early Development Instrument in Canada, Australia, United States, and Jamaica
Using the Early Development Instrument to examine cognitive and non-cognitive school readiness and elementary student achievement
Effect of a Structured Arts Program on the Psychosocial Functioning of Youth From Low-Income Communities
This study reports on the longitudinal examination of a structured arts program for Canadian youth, aged 9 to 15 years, from low-income communities. Evaluated were the extent to which community-based organizations successfully recruited and retained youth in the program and whether they demonstrated improvement with respect to artistic ability (combination of theatre, visual, and media arts) and psychosocial indicators. The results suggest succes…
Variation in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity among bullied and non‐bullied children
We examined the relationship between being bullied during childhood and activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis as assessed through repeated measures of salivary cortisol. A non‐clinical sample of 154 (74 boys) predominantly Caucasian middle‐class 12‐year‐olds each provided detailed information about their experiences with bullying and six saliva samples were standardized across time and day. Children with a history of child mal…
The Use of Propensity Scores as a Matching Strategy
Objectives: This study reports on the concept and method of linear propensity scores used to obtain a comparison group from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to assess the effects of a longitudinal, structured arts program for Canadian youth (aged 9 to 15 years) from low-income, multicultural communities. Method: This study compares 183 children in a community arts project to 183 children from a national longitudinal survey u…
Changes in urban green spaces in coastal cities and human well‐being
Green spaces are fast depleting in many urban areas across the world. This contributes to carbon dioxide emissions and affects the local climate and well‐being of city residents. Yet, there is limited empirical research on the spatio‐temporal patterns of change in urban green spaces and linkages to human well‐being, especially in coastal cities where urban green spaces additionally act as critical flood controls. This paper assesses the changing …
Disentangling the role of income in the academic achievement of migrant children
A Canadian Neighbourhood Index for Socioeconomic Status Associated with Early Child Development
Developmental health in the context of an early childhood program in Brazil
Design and evaluation of early child development (ECD) programs are poorly documented in low- or middle-income countries. The study aimed to identify family and child characteristics associated with developmental health outcomes among children aged from 4 to 6 years who participated in the "Primeira Infância Melhor" - PIM (Better Early Childhood), a home visiting program in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. We also evaluated the impact of PIM on d…
Androgen dynamics in the context of children's peer relations
Testosterone levels have been shown to decrease in the face of social defeat in several mammalian species. Among humans, the loss of social status has been studied primarily in the context of athletic competition, with winners having higher testosterone levels than losers. This study examined testosterone levels in relation to peer victimization (bullying) in a sample of 151 boys and girls aged 12–13. Statistically controlling for age and puberta…
Agricultural land use policies and landscape dynamics
Agricultural-land use policies play a crucial role in shaping agroecological landscapes globally. The evidence suggests that some of these policies tend to have undesired feedback/trade-offs, particularly about coastal resource use and conservation planning. The present study explores how agricultural policies influence land use/land cover (LULC) transition patterns in Ghana's Rain Forest Agroecological Zone (RFAZ). Landsat satellite images for 1…
Seroprevalence of Sars-CoV-2 antibodies among children receiving primary care in Toronto, Ontario
Childhood Abuse and Lifetime Psychopathology in a Community Sample
OBJECTIVE: The authors assessed lifetime psychopathology in a general population sample and compared the rates of five psychiatric disorder categories between those who reported a childhood history of either physical or sexual abuse and those who did not. METHOD: A modified version of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview and a self-completed questionnaire on child abuse were administered to a probability sample (N=7,016) of Ontario re…
Effect of a Structured Arts Program on the Psychosocial Functioning of Youth From Low-Income Communities
This study reports on the longitudinal examination of a structured arts program for Canadian youth, aged 9 to 15 years, from low-income communities. Evaluated were the extent to which community-based organizations successfully recruited and retained youth in the program and whether they demonstrated improvement with respect to artistic ability (combination of theatre, visual, and media arts) and psychosocial indicators. The results suggest succes…
Contextual Influences on Children’s Mental Health and School Performance
Data from a nationally representative sample of 13,470 children aged 4–11 years were used to study contextual influences on children’s mental health and school performance, the moderating effects of family immigrant status and underlying family processes that might explain these relationships. Despite greater socioeconomic disadvantage, children living in recent immigrant families had lower levels of emotional–behavioral problems and higher level…
The School Entry Gap
Notwithstanding the constant debate in the scientific and policy literature on the precise meaning of school readiness, research consistently demonstrates a wide variation between groups of children resulting in a gap at school entry. Recently, the teacher-completed Early Development Instrument (EDI), a new measure of children's school readiness in 5 developmental areas, was developed, tested, and implemented in Canada. EDI results confirmed the …
The Use of Propensity Scores as a Matching Strategy
Objectives: This study reports on the concept and method of linear propensity scores used to obtain a comparison group from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth to assess the effects of a longitudinal, structured arts program for Canadian youth (aged 9 to 15 years) from low-income, multicultural communities. Method: This study compares 183 children in a community arts project to 183 children from a national longitudinal survey u…
Variation in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity among bullied and non‐bullied children
We examined the relationship between being bullied during childhood and activity of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis as assessed through repeated measures of salivary cortisol. A non‐clinical sample of 154 (74 boys) predominantly Caucasian middle‐class 12‐year‐olds each provided detailed information about their experiences with bullying and six saliva samples were standardized across time and day. Children with a history of child mal…
Androgen dynamics in the context of children's peer relations
Testosterone levels have been shown to decrease in the face of social defeat in several mammalian species. Among humans, the loss of social status has been studied primarily in the context of athletic competition, with winners having higher testosterone levels than losers. This study examined testosterone levels in relation to peer victimization (bullying) in a sample of 151 boys and girls aged 12–13. Statistically controlling for age and puberta…
Validity and Psychometric Properties of the Early Development Instrument in Canada, Australia, United States, and Jamaica
Longitudinal Links Between Childhood Peer Victimization, Internalizing and Externalizing Problems, and Academic Functioning
Investigation of the Cross-National Equivalence of a Measurement of Early Child Development
Using the Early Development Instrument to examine cognitive and non-cognitive school readiness and elementary student achievement
Neighbourhood socioeconomic status indices and early childhood development
The developmental health of young children is highly influenced by the socioeconomic conditions in which they are raised. How to accurately measure these conditions is a point of debate in the current literature on child development, health, and social determinants. We have evaluated four existing indices of socioeconomic status (SES) to determine the most relevant for the analysis of early childhood development (ECD) in Canada. Following a liter…
Psychometric Evaluation of a Revised Scoring Approach for the Children’s Saving Inventory in a Canadian Sample of Youth With Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
Sex differences in the socioeconomic gradient of children's early development
Sex differences in early child development (ECD) are well documented, as is the socioeconomic status (SES) gradient in early development outcomes. However, relatively little is known about whether the SES gradient in ECD outcomes varies by sex. This study examines whether the association between neighbourhood SES and developmental health outcomes of Canadian kindergarten children is different for girls than for boys. Individual-level child develo…
Neighbourhood-level prevalence of teacher-reported Autism Spectrum Disorder among kindergarten children in Canada
Number of children with ASD per neighbourhood varies from none to as high as 21.•Developmental vulnerabilities were not associated with levels of clustering.•Highest level of clustering of children with ASD was found in Nova Scotia
A Canadian Neighbourhood Index for Socioeconomic Status Associated with Early Child Development
Developmental health in the context of an early childhood program in Brazil
Design and evaluation of early child development (ECD) programs are poorly documented in low- or middle-income countries. The study aimed to identify family and child characteristics associated with developmental health outcomes among children aged from 4 to 6 years who participated in the "Primeira Infância Melhor" - PIM (Better Early Childhood), a home visiting program in Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. We also evaluated the impact of PIM on d…
Association between neighbourhood socioeconomic status and developmental vulnerability of kindergarten children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
There is limited knowledge about the relationship between neighbourhood socioeconomic status (SES) and development of kindergarten children with ASD. The primary objective of this study was to determine the association between neighbourhood SES and developmental vulnerability of kindergarten children with ASD while controlling for family SES across 10 provinces and territories in Canada. This study used data from a population level database of ch…
Exploring the Participation Patterns and Impact of Environment in Preschool Children with ASD
Participation in everyday activities at home and in the community is essential for children's development and well-being. Limited information exists about participation patterns of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines these participation patterns in both the home and community, and the extent to which environmental factors and social communication abilities are associated with participation. Fifty-four paren…
Epidemiological study of a developmentally and culturally sensitive preschool intervention to improve school readiness of children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
BACKGROUND: Early childhood is a dynamic period of physical, psychosocial and cognitive development, where age appropriate intervention during the preschool years influences psychosocial, behavioural and academic achievement of children. This study evaluated the impact of a comprehensive preschool intervention on psychosocial, cognitive and behavioural school preparedness among children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODS: Employing a cluster-sampl…
Disentangling the role of income in the academic achievement of migrant children
Preschool mental health
Despite the availability of effective early interventions, few preschoolers with mental health issues receive these services. This situation exists partly due to challenges in the identification of emotional and behavioral issues in young children. We developed the Brief Child and Family Intake and Outcomes System for Preschoolers, which is a 60-item standardized online parent questionnaire including three externalizing scales (Regulating Attenti…
Thriving, catching up, falling behind
Symptom trajectories in the first 18 months and autism risk in a prospective high‐risk cohort
BACKGROUND: Although early autism spectrum disorder (ASD) detection strategies tend to focus on differences at a point in time, behavioral symptom trajectories may also be informative. METHODS: Developmental trajectories of early signs of ASD were examined in younger siblings of children diagnosed with ASD (n = 499) and infants with no family history of ASD (n = 177). Participants were assessed using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI…
Effects of household chaos and parental responsiveness on child executive functions
These findings indicate that parental responsiveness may be compromised by household chaos, with implications for the executive functions of school-aged children. Preventative strategies are needed to improve the stability in the home and strengthen parenting practices
Psychology (36 obras) · Developmental psychology (30 obras) · Medicine (23 obras) · Early Childhood Education and Development (18 obras) · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development (16 obras) · Clinical Psychology (15 obras) · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research (13 obras) · Psychiatry (13 obras) · Autism (11 obras) · Population (11 obras)