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Prevalence of children under five with disabilities in Sierra Leone in 2017: Insights from a population-based

Anna-Theresia Ekman1, Paul A Sengeh2, Nance Webber2

  • 1Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 77, Stockholm, Sweden.

Disability and Health Journal
|June 14, 2023
PubMed

Insights

In Sierra Leone, 6.6% of young children have disabilities, with higher risks for those who are stunted or have younger caregivers. Early detection and intervention programs are recommended.

Area of Science:

  • Child Health
  • Disability Studies
  • Public Health in Sub-Saharan Africa

Background:

  • Children with disabilities remain a neglected area in child health globally and in Sierra Leone.
  • Significant knowledge gaps persist regarding the prevalence and associated factors of childhood disability in the region.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of disabilities among children aged two to four years in Sierra Leone.
  • To identify factors associated with disabilities in this population using functional difficulty as a proxy.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized cross-sectional data from the 2017 Sierra Leone Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey.
  • Defined disability using functional difficulty, with additional thresholds for severe and multiple disabilities.
  • Employed logistic regression to analyze associations between disability and socioeconomic/living conditions.

Main Results:

  • The prevalence of childhood disability was estimated at 6.6% (95% CI: 5.8-7.6%).
  • Comorbidity between different functional difficulties was observed to be high.
  • Disability was associated with being less likely to be female or older, more likely to be stunted, and having younger caregivers.

Conclusions:

  • The prevalence of disability in young children in Sierra Leone is comparable to regional estimates.
  • Integrated preventive and early intervention strategies are crucial, linked with existing programs like vaccinations and nutrition.
Abstract

Keywords:
DisabilityFunctional difficultyGlobal healthNutritionPrevalence

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