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. 2021 Dec 4;50(1):68.
doi: 10.1186/s40463-021-00549-3.

Systematic review of validated parent-reported questionnaires assessing swallowing dysfunction in otherwise healthy infants and toddlers

Abdulsalam Baqays  1   2 , Julianna Zenke  1 , Sandra Campbell  3 , Wendy Johannsen  4 , Marghalara Rashid  5 , Hadi Seikaly  1 , Hamdy El-Hakim  6
Affiliations

Systematic review of validated parent-reported questionnaires assessing swallowing dysfunction in otherwise healthy infants and toddlers

Abdulsalam Baqays et al. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. .

Abstract

Objectives: There has been increasing interest in the management of oropharyngeal swallowing dysfunction (SwD). Its prevalence, particularly in otherwise healthy infants and toddlers (OHITs), is underappreciated. As the standard diagnostic tests are either invasive or scarce, valid parent-reported outcome (PRO) questionnaires could play a pivotal role in the understanding and managing SwD in this group. This article reviewed the literature on PRO questionnaires pertaining to SwD in OHITs.

Data source: A librarian searched Prospero, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline, PsycINFO, HaPI, CINAHL, and SCOPUS until February 2021 using the MeSH terms for deglutition and screening methods.

Review method: Questionnaires that examined disease-specific or eating and feeding concerns or difficulties were excluded. Two reviewers independently identified PRO questionnaires for SwD that were used in OHITs and extracted the author names, publication year, questionnaire name, the studied population, and the reported psychometric assessments. A quality assessment was performed based on consensus-based standards for the selection of health measurement instruments (COSMIN) and updated criteria for good measurement properties.

Results: Of the 3488 screened articles, we identified only two questionnaires, the pediatric version of the Eating Assessment Tool (PEDI-EAT-10) and the PRO questionnaire for Swallowing Dysfunction in OHITs. The PEDI-EAT-10 authors assessed the validity and reliability on children with cerebral palsy. However, concerns were identified regarding the developmental process and the internal structure validity. The PRO questionnaire for SwD in OHITs meets criteria but has not yet been validated in the population of interest nor its psychometric properties assessed.

Conclusion: Two instruments were identified. The PED-EAT-10 exhibits methodological flaws, while Edmonton PRO questionnaire for SwD in OHITs awaits construct validation and could fill the current knowledge gap.

Keywords: Deglutition; Dysphagia; Otherwise healthy infants and toddlers; Patient-reported outcomes; Psychometrics; Swallowing dysfunction; Systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
PRISMA diagram detailing the article selection process for further evaluation and inclusion in the systematic review to identify validated PRO questionnaires used for OHITs
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
COSMIN flowchart to evaluate the study quality in the development of PEDI-EAT-10
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
COSMIN flowchart to evaluate the study quality in the content validation of PEDIEAT-10
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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