Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)12 Jul 2026

Screening for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japanese 18‐ and 36‐Month Health Check‐Ups: Utility and Reproducibility of the ESSENCE‐Q

Yuhei Hatakenaka^1,2,3
Koutaro Hachiya⁴
Christopher Gillberg³

4 affiliations

¹Faculty of Health Science Suzuka University of Medical Science Suzuka Mie Japan
²Kochi Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Kochi Treatment and Welfare Center Kochi Japan
³Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
⁴Graduate School of Science and Technology, Hirosaki University Hirosaki Japan

Abstract

Aim: The ESSENCE Questionnaire (ESSENCE‐Q) helps detect early neurodevelopmental disorder signs across multiple developmental domains for timely intervention. We evaluated the feasibility, reliability, accuracy and reproducibility of ESSENCE‐Q in 18‐ and 36‐month Japanese infants and toddlers.

Methods: Longitudinal data from 1373 children who participated in 18‐ and/or 36‐month health check‐up were analysed. ESSENCE‐Q was completed independently by mothers (ESSENCE‐Q‐M), public health nurses (ESSENCE‐Q‐N) and psychologists (ESSENCE‐Q‐P). Its effectiveness was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and optimal cut‐off values were established.

Results: The overall neurodevelopmental disorder prevalence was 11.2%. The internal consistency of ESSENCE‐Q was good. ESSENCE‐Q‐P demonstrated the highest performance at 18 months. Both ESSENCE‐Q‐N and ESSENCE‐Q‐P demonstrated excellent performance at 36 months. ESSENCE‐Q‐M is not sufficient for standalone use.

Conclusion: ESSENCE‐Q is a highly useful and reproducible screening tool for professionals for 18‐ and 36‐month check‐ups. ESSENCE‐Q completed by mothers should be supplemented with professional assessments.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{hatakenaka2026screening,
  title = {{Screening for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japanese 18‐ and 36‐Month Health Check‐Ups: Utility and Reproducibility of the ESSENCE‐Q}},
  author = {Yuhei Hatakenaka and Koutaro Hachiya and Christopher Gillberg},
  journal = {Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1111/apa.70688},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.70688},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Screening for Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japanese 18‐ and 36‐Month Health Check‐Ups: Utility and Reproducibility of the ESSENCE‐Q
AU  - Yuhei Hatakenaka
AU  - Koutaro Hachiya
AU  - Christopher Gillberg
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/12
JO  - Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
DO  - 10.1111/apa.70688
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.70688
AB  - Aim: The ESSENCE Questionnaire (ESSENCE‐Q) helps detect early neurodevelopmental disorder signs across multiple developmental domains for timely intervention. We evaluated the feasibility, reliability, accuracy and reproducibility of ESSENCE‐Q in 18‐ and 36‐month Japanese infants and toddlers.  Methods: Longitudinal data from 1373 children who participated in 18‐ and/or 36‐month health check‐up were analysed. ESSENCE‐Q was completed independently by mothers (ESSENCE‐Q‐M), public health nurses (ESSENCE‐Q‐N) and psychologists (ESSENCE‐Q‐P). Its effectiveness was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves, and optimal cut‐off values were established.  Results: The overall neurodevelopmental disorder prevalence was 11.2%. The internal consistency of ESSENCE‐Q was good. ESSENCE‐Q‐P demonstrated the highest performance at 18 months. Both ESSENCE‐Q‐N and ESSENCE‐Q‐P demonstrated excellent performance at 36 months. ESSENCE‐Q‐M is not sufficient for standalone use.  Conclusion: ESSENCE‐Q is a highly useful and reproducible screening tool for professionals for 18‐ and 36‐month check‐ups. ESSENCE‐Q completed by mothers should be supplemented with professional assessments.
SN  - 0803-5253
SN  - 1651-2227
ER  -

Abstract

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