Neurodevelopmental disorders among Spanish school-age children: prevalence and sociodemographic correlates
- 13 January 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in Psychological Medicine
- Vol. 52 (14), 3062-3072
- https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291720005115
Abstract
Background Prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders (ND) are essential for treatment planning. However, epidemiological research has yielded highly variable rates across countries, including Spain. This study examined the prevalence and sociodemographic correlates of ND in a school sample of Spanish children and adolescents. Methods The Child Behaviour Checklist/Teacher's Report Form/Youth Self-Report and the Conners' Rating Scales were administered for screening purposes. Additionally, teachers provided information on reading and writing difficulties. Subjects who screened positive were interviewed for diagnostic confirmation according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria. The final population comprised 6834 students aged 5–17. Multivariate analyses were performed to determine the influence of gender, age, educational stage, school type, socioeconomic status (SES), and ethnicity on the prevalence estimates. Results A total of 1249 (18.3%) subjects met criteria for at least one ND, although only 423 had already received a diagnosis. Specifically, the following prevalence rates were found: intellectual disabilities (ID), 0.63%; communication disorders, 1.05%; autism spectrum disorder (ASD), 0.70%; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 9.92%; specific learning disorder (SLD), 10.0%; and motor disorders, 0.76%. Students of foreign origin and from low SES evidenced higher odds of having ID. Boys were more likely to display ASD or a motor disorder. Age, SES, and ethnicity were significant predictors for SLD, while communication disorders and ADHD were also associated with gender. Conclusions The prevalence of ND among Spanish students is consistent with international studies. However, a substantial proportion had never been previously diagnosed, which emphasise the need for early detection and intervention programmes.Keywords
This publication has 48 references indexed in Scilit:
- Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder among children and adolescents in Spain: a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological studiesBMC Psychiatry, 2012
- Prevalence of Tic Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-AnalysisPediatric Neurology, 2012
- Prevalence of child and adolescent mental disorders in Chile: a community epidemiological studyJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2012
- Prevalence of Tics in Schoolchildren in Central Spain: A Population-Based StudyPediatric Neurology, 2011
- The Co-occurrence of Reading Disorder and ADHDJournal of Learning Disabilities, 2011
- Trends in the Prevalence of Developmental Disabilities in US Children, 1997–2008PEDIATRICS, 2011
- Prevalence and Treatment of Mental Disorders Among US Children in the 2001–2004 NHANESPEDIATRICS, 2010
- Epidemiology of Pervasive Developmental DisordersPediatric Research, 2009
- DSM‐IV combined type ADHD shows familial association with sibling trait scores: A sampling strategy for QTL linkageNeuropsychiatric Genetics, Part B of the American Journal of Medical Genetics (AJMG), 2008
- Prevalence of tic disorder in two schools in the Basque country: Results and methodological caveatsMovement Disorders, 2006