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ARTICLE: Nathan J. Blum, Bruce Taubman, and Nicole Nemeth Relationship Between Age at Initiation of Toilet Training and Duration of Training: A Prospective Study Pediatrics 2003; 111: 810-814 [Abstract] [Full text] [PDF]

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Data analysis affected by 21-24 month age group

MarieT Kelly   (25 August 2005)

Data analysis affected by 21-24 month age group 25 August 2005
MarieT Kelly, Physicist University of Adelaide Send letter to journal: Re: Data analysis affected by 21-24 month age group tkelly{at}physics.adelaide.edu.au MarieT Kelly	I read with interest this article which has been extensively quoted in the media, in particular the conclusion that there is little benefit in initiating training before 27 months. Looking at the data from the graphs, I would like to suggest that the length of toilet training in the 21-24 month age group has affected the analysis and hence the conclusion that there is no benefit in training before 27 months. Perhaps a window of opportunity for training closes at around this age due to a particular developmental phase, or the relatively small samples in the younger age groups has affected the results. The authors split the sample into only 2 groups - before and after 27 months - for the correlation analysis of both time taken and age at completion. It would be interesting to see this correlation analysis split into the original age groups of 3-month intervals. Another possible interpretation of the study would be that 21- 24 months is not a good age to start toilet training. Finally, I would like to suggest the possibility that the 81 children whose parents never initiated intensive training were self motivated and essentially trained themselves, thus completing training earlier. Conflict of Interest: None declared