WIP 73 - Social determinants of children's neurodevelopment – A scoping review.

Poster Number: WIP 73
Publication Number: WIP 73.966

Background: Social determinants of brain health (SDBH) refer to various personal, social, economic and environmental factors that can influence well-being and neurodevelopment and may contribute to health inequalities. Despite recent growing interest in the influence of SDBH on outcomes in pediatric research, the determinants remain highly heterogeneous across research groups, and no consensus exists regarding how these determinants should be evaluated. This knowledge gap greatly limits our understanding of the impact of SDBH on pediatric outcomes.

Objective: To address this critical need, we are conducting a scoping review of the literature to summarize the current state of knowledge regarding SDBH specific to infant’s neurodevelopment and how they are being measured in North America. This information will guide future optimal research practice and impact intervention in high-risk groups.

Design/Methods: We will follow PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews to map existing published studies using a systematic framework. The search will be performed in PUBMED and ProQuest databases. Data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers and data will be charted, collated, and narratively synthesized using an intersectionality framework. Exclusion criteria and keywords were narrowed down following a preliminary search of the literature. The search now focuses on articles published in English or French since the databases’ inception, performed in 0 to 5 years-old children, in North American healthy or clinical populations and in which investigation of SDBH on neurodevelopmental outcomes was a main research objective. The final selection of articles and data extraction is underway and will be completed by the end of February 2024.
Results. Preliminary findings suggest that studies of SDBH predominantly focused on parental factors such as education, family income and occupation and less so on environmental factors like neighborhood safety and amenities. Results of subsequent analyses will provide guidance on how best integrate the evaluation of SDBH in pediatric research in North America.