Understanding and supporting the development of people in the day-to-day contexts in which they live and experience their multiple worlds are fundamental to any society’s hope of attaining a high quality of life and well-being for its citizens. The Institute for Human Development is dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge with direct relevance for policies, programs, and practices that enhance life experiences at all stages of human development. In its foundational years, the Institute seeks particularly to become a major instrumental agent, locally as well as globally, for advancing knowledge about the earliest years of children’s development and harnessing such knowledge for the purposes of shaping policies and interventions that ensure a strong start in life for all children wherever they may live.​​​​

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Submissions from 2019

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Assessing executive function in adolescence: A scoping review of existing measures and their psychometric robustness, Moses K Nyongesa, Derrick Ssewanyana, Agnes M Mutua, Esther Chongwo, Gaia Scerif, Charles RJC Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Inter-relatedness of underlying factors for injury and violence among adolescents in rural coastal Kenya: A qualitative study, Derrick Ssewanyana, Anneloes van Baar, Patrick N. Mwangala, Charles R. Newton, and Amina Abubakar

Submissions from 2018

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Community dialogues as a strategy for identifying and addressing child protection needs in Shinyanga, Tanzania, Amina Abubakar, Sadaf Shallwani, Stanley Wechuli Wanjala, Patrick Nzivo Mwangala, and Moses Kachama Nyongesa

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Prevalence and correlates of home delivery amongst HIV-infected women attending care at a rural public health facility in Coastal Kenya, Stevenson K Chea, Tabitha W Mwangi, Kennedy K Ndirangu, Osman A Abdullahi, Patrick K Munywoki Munywoki, Amina Abubakar, and Amin S Hassan

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Validation of a Swahili version of the World Health Organization 5-item well-being index among adults living with HIV and epilepsy in rural coastal Kenya, Esther Chongwo, Derrick Ssewanyana, Carophine Nasambu, Patrick N Mwangala, Paul M Mwangi, Moses K Nyongesa, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Prevalence, risk factors and behavioural and emotional comorbidity of acute seizures in young Kenyan children: a population-based study, Symon M. Kariuki Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kombe, Michael Kazungu, Rachael Odhiambo, Alan Stein, and Charles RJC Newton

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Creation of the WHO Indicators of Infant and Young Child Development (IYCD): metadata synthesis across 10 countries, Gillian A Lancaster, Gareth McCray, Patricia Kariger, Tarun Dua, Andrew Titman, Jaya Chandna, Dana McCoy, Amina Abubakar, Jena Derakhshani Hamadani, Günther Fink, Fahmida Tofail, Melissa Gladstone, and Magdalena Janus

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Evaluation of the INTERGROWTH-21st Neurodevelopment Assessment (INTER-NDA) in 2 year-old children, Elizabeth Murray, Michelle Fernandes, Charles RJ Newton, Amina Abubakar, Stephen H Kennedy, Jose Villar, and Alan Stein

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Cognition, mood and quality-of-life outcomes among low literacy adults living with epilepsy in rural Kenya: A preliminary study, Patrick N Mwangala, Symon M Kariuki, Moses K Nyongesa, Paul Mwangi, Esther Chongwo, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Screening tools for HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders among adults living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A scoping review [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations], Patrick N Mwangala, Charles R Newton, Melanie Abas, and Amina Abubakar

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Neurocognitive and mental health outcomes and association with quality of life among adults living with HIV: a cross-sectional focus on a low-literacy population from coastal Kenya, Moses Kachama Nyongesa, Patrick N Mwangala, Paul Mwangi, Martha Kombe, Charles RJC Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Perspectives on underlying factors for unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle of adolescents at a Kenyan coastal setting, Derrick Ssewanyana, Amina Abubakar, Anneloes Van Baar, Patrick N Mwangala, and Charles R Newton

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Young people’s and stakeholders’ perspectives of adolescent sexual risk behavior in Kilifi County, Kenya: a qualitative study, Derrick Ssewanyana, Patrick N Mwangala, Vicki Marsh, Irene Jao, Anneloes Van Baar, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Health risk behavior among perinatally HIV exposed uninfected adolescents: A systematic review, Derrick Ssewanyana, Patrick N Mwangala, Moses Kachama Nyongesa, Anneloes van Baar, and Amina Abubakar

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Health risk behaviour among adolescents living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis, Derrick Ssewanyana, Patrick N Mwangala, Anneloes Van Baar, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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A contextually relevant approach to assessing health risk behavior in a rural sub-Saharan Africa setting: the Kilifi health risk behavior questionnaire, Derrick Ssewanyana, Anneloes Van Baar, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Advancing the Sustainable Development Goal for Education Through Developmentally Informed Approaches to Measurement, Alice J Wuermli, Antje Von Suchodoletz, and Amina Abubakar

Submissions from 2017

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An evaluation of the quality of pre-primary schooling in East Africa and its association with early primary outcomes, Frances E Aboud, Amina Abubakar, Elias Kumbakumba, Shehe Abdalla Moh'd, and Melanie Dirks

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Infections of the Central Nervous System and Child Development in Sub-Saharan Africa, Amina Abubakar

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Cross-cultural comparisons, Amina Abubakar and Fons JR Van de Vijver

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How to adapt tests for Sub-Saharan Africa, Amina Abubakar and Fons JR Van De Vijver

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Cumulative psychosocial risk is a salient predictor of depressive symptoms among vertically HIV-infected and HIV-affected adolescents at the Kenyan Coast, Amina Abubakar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Amin S Hassan, Ronald Fischer, Moses K Nyongesa, Beatrice Kabunda, James A Berkley, Alan Stein, and Charles R Newton

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Fatherhood in the African Context: Review and a Case Study in Kenya, Amina Abubakar, Stanley W Wanjala, and Anneloes L Van Baar

The Relationship Between Well-Being and Value Priorities as Well as Intersubjective Norms Among Emerging Adults in South Africa, Byron G Adams, Ronald Fischer, and Amina Abubakar

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Antimalarial drugs and the prevalence of mental and neurological manifestations: A systematic review and meta-analysis [version 1; peer review: 1 approved, 1 approved with reservations], Mary A Bitta, Symon M Kariuki, Clifford Mwita, Samson Gwer, Leah Mwai, and Amina Abubakar

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Burden of neurodevelopmental disorders in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Mary Bitta, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, and Charles RJC Newton

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Identity resources for positive adaptation of Roma ethnic minority youth in Albania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Kosovo, and Romania, Radosveta Dimitrova, Pasquale Musso, Amina Abubakar, Iva Polackova Solcova, Delia Stefenel, Fitim Uka, and Venzislav Jordanov

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Measuring neurodevelopment in low-resource settings, Melissa Gladstone, Amina Abubakar, Richard Idro, John Langfitt, and Charles R Newton

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G492 Who 0–3 developmental indicators–a systematic analysis of developmental trajectories of items from seven assessment tools in ten countries, M Gladstone, G Lancaster, P Kariger, M Janus, G McCray, D McCoy, G Fink, Amina Abubakar, J Hamandani, and T Dua

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Depressive symptoms are negatively associated with glucose testing and eating meals on time among individuals with diabetes in Zambia, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, Frans Pouwer, and Fons Van De Vijver

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Applying the bioecological model to understand factors contributing to psychosocial well-being and healthcare of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, and Fons van de Vijver

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Burden, risk factors, and comorbidities of behavioural and emotional problems in Kenyan children: a population-based study, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kombe, Michael Kazungu, Rachael Odhiambo, Alan Stein, and Charles RJC Newton

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Prevalence, risk factors and behavioural and emotional comorbidity of acute seizures in young Kenyan children: a population-based study, Symon M. Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Martha Kombe, Michael Kazungu, Rachael Odhiambo, Alan Stein, and Charles R. J. C. Newton

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Prevalence, causes, and behavioral and emotional comorbidities of acute symptomatic seizures in Africa: a critical review, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Alan Stein, Kevin Marsh, and Charles RJC Newton

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Prevalence, risk factors, and neurobehavioral comorbidities of epilepsy in Kenyan children, Charles J Kind, Charles R. J. C. Newton, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, and Neurodevelopment Disorders Study Group

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A mixed methods approach to adapting and evaluating the functional assessment of HIV infection (FAHI), Swahili version, for use with low literacy populations, Moses K Nyongesa, Antipa Sigilai, Amin S Hassan, Janet Thoya, Rachael Odhiambo, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Charles RJC Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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Psychometric evaluation of the Major Depression Inventory among young people living in Coastal Kenya, Mark Otiende, Amina Abubakar, George Mochamah, David Walumbe, Christopher Nyundo, Aoife M Doyle, David A Ross, Charles R Newton, and Evasius Bauni

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Investigating the evidence of behavioral, cognitive, and psychiatric endophenotypes in autism: a systematic review, Kavita Ruparelia, Karim Manji, Amina Abubakar, and Charles R Newton

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Prioritizing Research for Integrated Implementation of Early Childhood Development and Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Nutrition Platforms, Renee Sharma, Michelle F. Gaffey, Harold Alderman, Diego G. Bassan, Kimber Bogard, Gary L. Darmstadt, Jai K. Das, and Kofi Marfo

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Health risk behavior among chronically ill adolescents: a systematic review of assessment tools, Derrick Ssewanyana, Moses Kachama Nyongesa, Anneloes Van Baar, Charles R Newton, and Amina Abubakar

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International estimated fetal weight standards of the INTERGROWTH‐21st Project, J Stirnemann, J Villar, LJ Salomon, E Ohuma, P Ruyan, DG Altman, Amina Abubakar, and F Nosten

Submissions from 2016

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Social connectedness, life satisfaction and school engagement: Moderating role of ethnic minority status on resilience processes of Roma youth, Amina Abubakar and Radosveta Dimitrova

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Adaptation and latent structure of the Swahili version of Beck Depression Inventory-II in a low literacy population in the context of HIV, Amina Abubakar, Raphael Birya Kalu, Khamis Katana, Beatrice Kabunda, Amin S Hassan, Charles R Newton, and Fons Van de Vijver

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Autism spectrum disorders in sub-Saharan Africa, Amina Abubakar, Derrick Ssewanyana, Petrus J de Vries, and Charles R Newton

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A systematic review of research on autism spectrum disorders in Sub-Saharan Africa, Amina Abubakar, Derrick Ssewanyana, and Charles R Newton

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Measurement invariance of the Brief Multidimensional Student’s Life Satisfaction Scale among adolescents and emerging adults across 23 cultural contexts, Amina Abubakar, Fons van de Vijver, Itziar Alonso-Arbiol, Jia He, Byron Adams, Said Aldhafri, Arzu Aydinli-Karakulak, Josephine Arasa, Diana Boer, Ozgur Celenk, and Radosveta Dimitrova

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Assessing sense of school belonging across cultural contexts using the PSSM: Measurement and functional invariance, Amina Abubakar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Itziar Alonso-Arbiol, Angela O Suryani, Weny Savitry Pandia, Penny Handani, Josephine Arasa, Lubna Mazrui, and Margaret Murugumi

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‘Everyone has a secret they keep close to their hearts’: challenges faced by adolescents living with HIV infection at the Kenyan coast, Amina Abubakar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Ronald Fischer, Amin S Hassan, Joseph K Gona, Judith Tumaini Dzombo, Grace Bomu, Khamis Katana, and Charles R Newton

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Ethnic identity in emerging adults in Sub‐Saharan Africa and the USA, and its associations with psychological well‐Being, Byron G Adams, Amina Abubakar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Gideon P De Bruin, Josephine Arasa, Emmanuel Fomba, Omri Gillath, Given Hapunda, Joseph Looh La, Lubna Mazrui, and Margaret Murugami

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The effects of prenatal HIV exposure on language functioning in Kenyan children: establishing an evaluative framework, KJ Alcock, Amina Abubakar, Charles R Newton, and Penny Holding

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Career expectancy of physicians active in patient care: evidence from Mississippi, Jamie Boydstun, Jeralynn S Cossman, and Amina Abubakar

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Measurement Invariance of the Satisfaction with Life Scale in Roma Minority and Romanian Majority Adolescents in Romania, Radosveta Dimitrova, Carmen Buzea, Amina Abubakar, and Delia Stefenel

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Challenges and coping strategies of parents of children with autism on the Kenyan coast, Joseph K Gona, Charles R Newton, Kenneth K Rimba, Rachel Mapenzi, Michael Kihara, Fonns V Vijver, and Amina Abubakar

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Validity and reliability of the Zambian version of the Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale: A triangulation with cognitive interviews, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, Frans Pouwer, and Fons Van de Vijver

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Evaluation of psychometric properties and factorial structure of the pre-school child behaviour checklist at the Kenyan Coast, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Elizabeth Murray, Alan Stein, and Charles RJC Newton

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Describing normal development in an African setting: The utility of the Kilifi Developmental Inventory among young children at the Kenyan coast, Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo, Penny Holding, Amina Abubakar, Jane Kvalsvig, H Gerry Taylor, and Christopher L King

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Context and the Advancement of a Global Science of Human Development: A Commentary, Kofi Marfo

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Autism Spectrum Disorders in Africa: Current Challenges in Identification, Assessment, and Treatment: A Report on the International Child Neurology Association Meeting on ASD in Africa, Ghana, April 3-5, 2014, Kavita Ruparelia, Amina Abubakar, Eben Badoe, Muideen Bakare, Karren Visser, Diane C. Chugani, Harry T. Chugani, Kirsten A. Donald, Jo M. Wilmshurst, Andy Shih, David Skuse, and Charles R. Newton

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Pre-adoption adversity and behavior problems in adopted Chinese children: A longitudinal study, Tony Xing Tan and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2015

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Community perceptions of developmental and behavioral problems experienced by children living with epilepsy on the Kenyan coast: A qualitative study, Amina Abubakar, Symon M Kariuki, Judith Dzombo Tumaini, Joseph Gona, Khamis Katana, Jacqueline A Phillips Owen, and Charles R Newton

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Gender and health inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa: the case of HIV, Amina Abubakar and Patricia Kitsao-Wekulo

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Perceptions of parenting styles and their associations with mental health and life satisfaction among urban Indonesian adolescents, Amina Abubakar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Angela O Suryani, Penny Handayani, and Weny Savitry Pandia

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Developmental inventories using illiterate parents as informants: Communicative Development Inventory (CDI) adaptation for two Kenyan languages, KJ Alcock; K Rimba; P Holding; P Kitsao-Wekulo, Kitsao-Wekulo,; Amina Abubakar; and CRJC Newton

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Generalized anxiety symptoms and identity processes in cross-cultural samples of adolescents from the general population, Elisabetta Crocetti, William W Hale, Radosveta Dimitrova, Amina Abubakar, Cheng-Hai Gao, and Ivan Jacob Agaloos Pesigan

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Parents’ and professionals’ perceptions on causes and treatment options for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in a multicultural context on the Kenyan coast, Joseph K Gona, Charles R Newton, Kenneth Rimba, Rachel Mapenzi, Michael Kihara, and Fons JR Van de Vijver

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Diabetes mellitus and comorbid depression in Zambia, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, F Pouwer, and Fons van de Vijver

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Diabetes mellitus and comorbid depression in Zambia, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, F Pouwer, and Fons van de Vijver

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Living with type 1 diabetes is challenging for Zambian adolescents: qualitative data on stress, coping with stress and quality of care and life, Given Hapunda, Amina Abubakar, Fons Van de Vijver, and Frans Pouwer

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Socially desirable responding: Enhancement and denial in 20 countries, Jia He, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Alejandra Dominguez Espinosa, Amina Abubakar, Radosveta Dimitrova, Byron G Adams, Arzu Aydinli, Itziar Alonso-Arbiol, Angela O Suryani, and Arnaud Villieux

Submissions from 2014

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Biomedical risk, psychosocial influences, and developmental outcomes: lessons from the pediatric HIV population in Africa, Amina Abubakar

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Creating a Link between School and Home Literacy Practices: The Case of Rural Primary Schools in Kisii Central District, Kisii County, Kenya, George Andima

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Music listening in families and peer groups: benefits for young people's social cohesion and emotional well-being across four cultures, Diana Boer and Amina Abubakar

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The INTERGROWTH-21 st Project Neurodevelopment Package: a novel method for the multi-dimensional assessment of neurodevelopment in pre-school age children, Michelle Fernandes, Alan Stein, Charles R Newton, Leila Cheikh-Ismail, Michael Kihara, Katharina Wulff, Enrique de León Quintana, Luis Aranzeta, Aureli Soria-Frisch, Javier Acedo, David Ibanez, Amina Abubakar, Francesca Giuliani, Tamsin Lewis, Stephen Kennedy, and Jose Villar

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Organizational justice and mental health: A multi‐level test of justice interactions, Ronald Fischer, Amina Abubakar, and Josephine Nyaboke Arasa

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Epidemiology Diabetes mellitus and comorbid depression in Zambia, G Hapunda, Abubakar Abdillah, F Pouwer, and F van de Vijver

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Impairment of executive function in Kenyan children exposed to severe falciparum malaria with neurological involvement, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Charles RJC Newton, and Michael Kihara

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Extending the Developmental Milestones Checklist for use in a different context in Sub‐Saharan Africa, Elizabeth L Prado, Amina Abubakar, Souheila Abbeddou, Elizabeth Y Jimenez, Jérôme W Somé, and Jean‐Bosco Ouédraogo

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Some Growth Points in African Child Development Research, Robert Serpell and Kofi Marfo

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Some long-standing and emerging research lines in Africa, Robert Serpell and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2013

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Socio-cultural determinants of health-seeking behaviour on the Kenyan coast: a qualitative study, Amina Abubakar, Anneloes Van Baar, Ronald Fischer, Grace Bomu, Joseph K. Gona, and Charles R. Newton

Submissions from 2012

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Prevalence and risk factors for poor nutritional status among children in the Kilimanjaro region of Tanzania, Amina Abubakar, Jacqueline Uriyo, Sia E Msuya, Mark Swai, and Babill Stray-Pedersen

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Behavioral problems in children with epilepsy in rural Kenya, Symon M Kariuki, Amina Abubakar, Penny A Holding, Victor Mung’ala-Odera, Eddie Chengo, Michael Kihara, Brian G Neville, and Charles Newton

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Second-first language acquisition: analysis of expressive language skills in a sample of girls adopted from China, Tony Xing Tan, Troy Loker, Robert F. Dredrick, and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2011

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Maternal perceptions of factors contributing to severe under-nutrition among children in a rural African setting, Amina Abubakar, Penelope Holding, Martha Mwangome, and Kathryn Maitland

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Envisioning an African Child Development Field, Kofi Marfo

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Strengthening Africa’s Contributions to Child Development Research: Introduction, Kofi Marfo, Alan Pence, Robert A. LeVine, and Sarah LeVine

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Bridging Culture, Research, and Practice in Early Childhood Development: The Madrasa Resource Centers in East Africa, Peter Mwaura and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2010

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Early developmental and psychosocial risks and longitudinal behavioral adjustment outcomes for preschool-age girls adopted from China, Tony Xing Tan, Kofi Marfo, and Robert F. Dedrick

Submissions from 2009

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The role of weight for age and disease stage in poor psychomotor outcome of HIV‐infected children in Kilifi, Kenya, Amina Abubakar, Penny Holding, Charles RJC Newton, Anneloes Van Baar, and Fons JR Van de Vijver

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Preschool-age adopted Chinese children's sleep problems and family sleep arrangements, Tony Xing Tan, Kofi Marfo, and Robert F. Dedrick

Submissions from 2008

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Monitoring psychomotor development in a resourcelimited setting: an evaluation of the Kilifi Developmental Inventory, Amina Abubakar, P Holding, A. Van Baar, C. R. J. C. Newton, and F. J. R. Van DE Vijver

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Paediatric HIV and neurodevelopment in sub‐Saharan Africa: a systematic review, Amina Abubakar, Anneloes Van Baar, Fons JR Van de Vijver, Penny Holding, and Charles RJC Newton

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Socioeconomic status, anthropometric status, and psychomotor development of Kenyan children from resource-limited settings: a path-analytic study, Amina Abubakar, Fons Van de Vijver, Leonard oes Van Baar, Leonard Mbonani, Raphael Kalu, Charles Newton, and Penny Holding

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Early childhood development in Africa: interrogating constraints of prevailing knowledge bases, Alan Pence and Kofi Marfo

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Factor structure of the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 in a sample of girls adopted from China, Dedrick F. Robert, Tan Tony Xing, and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2007

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Experimental Analysis of Question Wording in an Instrument Measuring Teachers’ Attitudes Toward Inclusive Education, Robert F. Dedrick, Kofi Marfo, and Deborah M. Harris

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Factor structure and clinical implications of child behavior checklist/1.5-5 ratings in a sample of girls adopted from China, Tony Xing Tan, Robert F. Dedrick, and Kofi Marfo

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Special needs adoption from China: Exploring child-level indicators, adoptive family characteristics, and correlates of behavioral adjustment, Tony Xing Tan, Kofi Marfo, and Robert F. Dedrick

Submissions from 2006

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Parental ratings of behavioral adjustment in two samples of adopted Chinese girls: Age-related versus socio-emotional correlates and predictors, Tony Xing Tan and Kofi Marfo

Submissions from 2005

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Enhancing infant/toddler adjustment during transitions to childcare: A screening and intervention tool for practitioners, Fernandez T. Mari and Kofi Marfo