Qualitative systematic review of Somali experience relating to child development, parenting and intervention

Systematic review of qualitative research addressing the Somali diaspora in the West, relevant to child development, parenting and intervention

Aim
This study aimed to inform the development of an intervention to improve early child development of Somali refugees and forced migrants in urban contexts in a developed country, by collecting, reviewing and synthesizing the findings from qualitative research into the experiences of Somali people in developed countries, relevant to child development, parenting and intervention.

Research question
What has been published about the experience of Somali people in high income countries, relevant to facilitators or barriers to early child development, and interventions to support this?

Methods
A systematic search was undertaken of relevant literature in health, psychological and social research databases from 1970-May2016. This was achieved by combining search terms for migrants/refugees, child development/learning/socialisation, children and Somali/Somalia. Additional searches were run using the terms Autism/autis* Behaviour*/behavior*/mental health. Abstracts were reviewed for potential relevance, and the full papers reviewed to decide on the final list of those included. An independent search of every tenth abstract by a second reviewer did not identify any additional papers requiring inclusion.

A flow diagram (Figure 1) depicts the number of papers reaching each stage of this process.

For each study included, a summary of the findings was prepared, with a commentary addressing the relevance of the study to the research question, the account of the research team and associated reflexive notes, the study design, the approach to analysis and reporting, and the implications for this study.

Findings were integrated with knowledge of Somali experience in Bristol from local clinical, academic and public involvement activity, to contribute to the development of an Ecocultural model of predisposing factors for early developmental problems in Somali migrants to Bristol/the UK, and to designing an intervention to improve early child development outcomes in these contexts.

Results
Summaries relating to the 22 papers reviewed are presented below (Table 1). These report the Study date, Authors, Setting (Context), and key Findings. Commentary is structured in relation to Relevance, Research team/reflexivity, Study design and Analysis/reporting.

Conclusions
In summary, multiple factors at family, community and societal levels may be relevant to the early child development of Somali refugees in a western context.