Intellectual Disability Among Disabled Children: Prevalence and Risk Factors in a Rural Area of Jammu, India

Abstract

Background: Disabled Children suffer Intellectual Disability/ies (ID) to a varying extent. Role of environmental and non-genetic factors in Intellectual Disability remains largely unexplored in developing nations. The study aimed to determine Intellectual Disability among disabled rural children and its association of various demographic variables.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in a randomly selected rural health zone. 52 children of ages 1 18 years with various disabilities were assessed for IQ by a clinical psychologist using Developmental Screening Test, Sequin Form Board test, CM Bhatia test and Vineland Social Maturity Scale. Chi-square test was used to find associations, if any.
Results: 16 children out of 52 were suffering from Intellectual Disability thus resulting in a prevalence of 30.7%. Male: Female ratio for Intellectual Disability was 1.3:1. Among the demographic variables, sex of the child and maternal age at child birth were significantly associated with Intellectual Disability (p<0.05).
Conclusions: High prevalence of Intellectual Disability among disabled children is a cause of concern. Healthcare team needs to raise awareness among females of reproductive age about various risk factors and screen children with disabilities for Intelligence Quotient (IQ) for early interventions.