Date of Conferral

9-5-2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Health Services

Advisor

Harold Griffin

Abstract

Scholarly literature review found a gap in the identification of barriers experienced by pediatric office providers (POPs) for the provision of early childhood development (ECD) surveillance among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children under the age of three years. The barriers may inhibit access to recommended screenings at defined milestones during the state of neurogenesis, whereby a child’s life trajectory may be negatively impacted and further handicap society at large. This qualitative study aimed to explore the access barriers and remedial strategies identified in the reconstructed narratives of southeast Florida POPs. The research design was premised on the behavioral model of health care service utilization and the cultural microsystem model; however, the convergence of the two conceptual frameworks yielded a reconceptualized bioecological model. A pilot study demonstrated the appropriateness of the research tools for the primary study without need for revision. Multiple recruitment efforts for targeted study candidates between July 2023 and February 2025 resulted in five consenting participants. Emerging themes for the first research question on barriers to access included knowledge, socioeconomic status, and ECD screening with sub-themes of social media, language, cultural norms, genetics, and policy. Themes for the second research question on remedial strategies practiced by POPs included advocacy and technology with sub-themes of coalition, telehealth, and global healthcare. Identification of these access barriers and remedial strategies for POPs promotes a better understanding of key focus areas that may be researched further to improve the overall ECD surveillance programs and the number of CALD children served for brighter futures.

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