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Disabilities and trends over time in a French county, 1980-91
C Cans1, P Guillem, J Fauconnier
1Registre des Handicaps de l'Enfant et Observatoire Périnatal de l'Isére, 23, Av Albert 1er de Belgique, 38000 Grenoble, France. christine.cans@imag.fr
Insights
Severe childhood disability prevalence increased significantly from 1980 to 1991 in a French county, primarily due to rising rates of cerebral palsy and psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Childhood disability trends require ongoing monitoring for effective public health planning.
- Understanding the types and prevalence of severe childhood disability is crucial for resource allocation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze temporal trends in the prevalence of severe childhood disability.
- To identify the specific types of disabilities contributing to observed trends.
- To examine data for children born in a French county between 1980 and 1991.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a medical morbidity register.
- Included children with at least one severe deficiency.
- Calculated prevalence rates per 1000 resident children across four three-year periods.
Main Results:
- Overall prevalence of severe childhood disability was 7.73 per 1000 children (1360 children).
- A significant increase in prevalence rates was observed from 1980 onwards.
- The rise was largely attributed to increased prevalence of cerebral palsy and psychiatric disorders.
Conclusions:
- The study provides valuable data for public health planning and resource allocation.
- Further research is recommended to investigate the underlying causes of these observed trends.
- This epidemiological data is essential for understanding and addressing childhood disability patterns.
Aim:
To describe trends over time and types of disability for children born in a French county from 1980 to 1991.
Methods:
Data were collected from medical records of a morbidity register; disabled children with at least one severe deficiency have been included. Prevalence rates are given per 1000 resident children, over four three-year periods.
Results:
Overall, 7.73 per 1000 children (that is, 1360 children), had a severe childhood disability, and the prevalence rate had increased significantly since 1980. This increase was mainly owing to an increase in cerebral palsy and psychiatric disorder prevalence rates.
Conclusion:
Future research aimed to explain these trends over time can be based on such data. The present knowledge is useful for planning purposes.