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[Research on the causes of physical disabilities among children aged 0 - 14, in China]
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Peking University Health Science Center, Beijing 100191, China.
Insights
Congenital conditions and injuries are leading causes of physical disabilities in Chinese children. Cerebral palsy remains the most common specific cause, with injury factors increasing over two decades.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Public Health
- Epidemiology
Context:
- Physical disabilities in children represent a significant public health concern.
- Understanding trends in disability causes is crucial for targeted interventions.
- China has undergone substantial socio-economic changes over the past 20 years, potentially impacting child health.
Purpose:
- To analyze the changing landscape of physical disability causes in children aged 0-14 in China.
- To compare disability etiologies between 1987 and 2006 to identify trends.
Summary:
- The study analyzed data from national surveys in 1987 and 2006 on physical disabilities in children aged 0-14.
- Congenital diseases and eccyliosis were the primary causes, with cerebral palsy being the most frequent specific cause.
- Injury factors showed an increasing trend, while disease and other factors decreased significantly over the 20-year period.
Impact:
- Findings highlight the evolving patterns of childhood physical disabilities in China.
- Identifies congenital conditions and injuries as key areas for future prevention and management strategies.
- Provides evidence for public health policy adjustments to address the changing causes of childhood disability.
Objective:
To understand the present situation and the changes on causes of physical disabilities among children aged 0 - 14 years for the past 20 years in China.
Methods:
Data on children with physical disabilities aged 0 - 14 years from The China National Sample Survey on Disability in 2006 and 1987, were analyzed and compared.
Results:
The categories on the causes of children with physical disabilities aged 0 - 14 could be grouped as: congenital diseases and eccyliosis, with injury factors, other factors and disease factors. The specific causing-disability rates were 0.257%, 0.066%, 0.055% and 0.041% respectively. Cerebral palsy rated the highest specific causing-disability as 0.129% in all of the causes. Compared with 1987, the specific causing-disability rate of congenital diseases and eccyliosis had an obvious increase while the rates of disease factors and other factors showed a substantial decrease. The top five causes of children with physical disabilities aged 0 - 14 years in China were cerebral palsy, deformity, other kinds of traumas, congenital diseases and eccyliosis in 2006. Other causes, postpoliomyelitis muscular atrophy, deformity, other kinds of traumas and unknown causes were the top five in 1987. The age-specific top five causes were basically the same as the total top five causes of children aged 0 - 14 years with physical disabilities in 1987 and 2006, so as the same relationship between sex-specific top five causes and total top five.
Conclusion:
Congenital diseases and eccyliosis were the main causes of 0 - 14 year-old children with physical disabilities, and cerebral palsy had the highest specific causing-disability rate while injury factors gradually became the major one.
