by Amedeo Funaro

EDI Data for Burnaby Heights

The Early Development Instrument (EDI) is a tool that helps to measure strengths and challenges related to children’s school readiness and preparedness, which can predict how they will perform in elementary school (Skelton & Leclair, 2019). For the neighborhood of Burnaby Heights, the EDI data shows that the Physical Health and Well-Being vulnerability of residents sat at 17%. The Burnaby Heights region’s level of vulnerability for this scale is slightly higher than the provincial average. There are a number of factors that can influence this statistic, such as median family income and the number of coupled families. Burnaby Heights has a total population of 15,915 residents, with 3635 coupled families, 665 lone families, and a median family income of $98,560 per year (UBC, n.d.). Regions with a higher level of coupled families and higher average median family income are more likely to have a lower percentage of vulnerability in relation to Physical Health and Well-Being. Families with greater monetary resources are able to enjoy better living conditions and greater ranges of opportunities, which allows them to experience better health outcomes (Gupta et al., 2007).

Risk and Resilience Factors for this Vulnerability

Teratogens are environmental compounds which have the ability to negatively impact the development of fetus organs and tissues during pregnancy (Cerrizuela et al., 2020). Women may be exposed to these compounds through food, water, pharmaceuticals, airborne sources, or skin exposure (Cerrizuela et al., 2020). These environmental factors have a large role in impacting the vulnerability and development in growing children. For instance, a pharmaceutical named Thalidomide was previously being given to pregnant women to treat morning sickness. Later on, it was found to cause a host of birth defects such as shortened limbs (Lovely et al., 2016). Genetic influences may also be a risk to increase the vulnerability of Physical Health and Well-Being in children. Chromosomal abnormalities occur when individuals either have too many or too little chromosomes, causing the development of certain body parts or functions to be impacted (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.). An example of this is Down Syndrome, which occurs when there is an extra copy of a certain chromosome. Individuals with Down Syndrome may face developmental delay or muscle weaknesses (Cleveland Clinic, n.d.).

As for factors that increase resilience in the face of Physical Health vulnerability, the way that children are raised can have one of the strongest impacts on decreasing vulnerability. It is crucial for parents to encourage children to thrive through working to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression (Lavoie et al., 2016). Resilience may be built further through higher autonomy, better social skills, knowledge of self-worth, and parental stability (Lavoie et al., 2016). These factors create a positive environment which serve as a buffer for when times become difficult and stressors that may impact development are introduced into the child’s life.

Profile of Vulnerable Children

The first subscale of Physical Health and Well-Being is gross and fine motor skills. Children who have low energy levels during the school day, difficulties with grasping and manipulating small objects, and who struggle with mobility issues are more vulnerable. A child who struggles in these aspects may be unwilling to participate in games, unable to use specific fingers to hold pens, unable to grasp objects with both hands, and may have difficulties standing up without support.

The second subscale relates to children’s physical readiness for the school day. Vulnerable children may be identified through the following aspects: over or underdressed for school, often tired or falling asleep, often late or unprepared for class, and often hungry.

The third subscale has to do with children’s physical independence. Low independence to use the washroom, no established hand preference, a lack of coordination, and use of self-comforting tactics such as thumb sucking all indicate a vulnerability to children’s Physical Health and Well-Being.

References

Cerrizuela, S., Vega-Lopez, G. A., & Aybar, M. J. (2020). The role of teratogens in neural crest development. Birth Defects Research, 112(8), 584–632. https://doi-org.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/10.1002/bdr2.1644

Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Birth defects: Causes, Definition & Types. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/12230-birth-defects

EDI – University of British Columbia (UBC). (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2022, from http://earlylearning.ubc.ca/media/edi_w7_communityprofiles/edi_w7_subscal e_communityprofile_sd_41.pdf

Gupta, R. P.-S., de Wit, M. L., & McKeown, D. (2007). The impact of poverty on the current and future health status of children. Paediatrics & Child Health, 12(8), 667–672. https://doi-org.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/10.1093/pch/12.8.667

Lavoie, J., Pereira, L. C., & Talwar, V. (2016). Children’s Physical Resilience Outcomes: Meta-Analysis of Vulnerability and Protective Factors. Journal of Pediatric Nursing, 31(6), 701–711.https://doi-org.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/10.1016/j.pedn.2016.07.011

Lovely, C., Rampersad, M., Fernandes, Y., & Eberhart, J. (2017). Gene-environment interactions in development and disease. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews. Developmental Biology, 6(1). https://doi-org.ezproxy.capilanou.ca/10.1002/wdev.247

Skelton, H., & Leclair, L. (2019). The Early Development Instrument — Creation of a Fine Motor/Visual Motor Index. Journal of Occupational Therapy, Schools & Early Intervention, 12(3), 284–297.