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Prevalence and health impact of developmental disabilities in US children
C A Boyle1, P Decouflé, M Yeargin-Allsopp
1Developmental Disabilities Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.
Insights
Seventeen percent of children experience developmental disabilities, impacting health and education. These conditions significantly increase healthcare use and school difficulties, especially for those with multiple or severe disabilities.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Developmental Pediatrics
- Public Health
Background:
- Developmental disabilities affect a significant portion of the pediatric population.
- Understanding the prevalence and impact of these conditions is crucial for public health initiatives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the prevalence of selected developmental disabilities in children aged 0-17 years.
- To assess the impact of these disabilities on health status, school performance, and healthcare utilization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement.
- Employed structured in-person interviews with household members to identify conditions.
- Assessed impact through measures of perceived health, school outcomes, and healthcare use.
Main Results:
- 17% of children reported a history of developmental disability.
- Prevalence varied, with learning disabilities at 6.5% and cerebral palsy at 0.2%.
- Affected children experienced increased doctor visits, hospital days, school absences, and grade repetition.
Conclusions:
- Developmental disabilities significantly impact children's quality of life.
- Children with multiple or severe disabilities face greater challenges.
- Future research should focus on mitigating the impact of these disabilities.
Objective:
Data from the 1988 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement were used to examine the prevalence of selected developmental disabilities and their impact among children ages 0 through 17 years.
Design:
The following conditions, identified through a structured in-person interview with a parent or other adult household member, were examined: deafness or trouble hearing, blindness, epilepsy or seizures, stammering and stuttering, other speech defects, cerebral palsy, delay in growth or development, learning disabilities, and emotional or behavioral problems. The impact was defined by measures of perceived health status, school performance and attendance, and health care utilization.
Results:
Seventeen percent of children in the United States were reported to have ever had a developmental disability. The prevalence of the individual disabilities ranged from 0.2% for cerebral palsy to 6.5% for learning disabilities. These conditions taken together had a substantial impact on the health and educational functioning of affected children: 1.5 times more doctor visits, 3.5 times more hospital-days, twice the number of school-days lost, and a 2.5-fold increase in the likelihood of repeating a grade in school compared with children without these conditions. The extent of this impact was much greater among children with multiple disabilities or with either cerebral palsy, epilepsy or seizures, delays in growth and development, or emotional or behavioral problems. The impact on school performance was most pronounced for children reported to have learning disabilities.
Conclusions:
Future research efforts should be focused on ways to reduce the impact of these developmental disabilities on quality of life.