1 research outputs found
Prevalence and socioeconomic correlates of autism among children attending primary and secondary schools in south east Nigeria
Objectives: The objectives of the study were to determine the
prevalence and socio-economic determinants of autism among children
attending primary and secondary schools in South East, Nigeria.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional study that assessed the prevalence
and socio-economic pattern of childhood autism among children attending
primary and secondary schools in Enugu and Ebonyi states, South East
Nigeria. The questionnaire was adapted from American Psychiatric
Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM-IV-TR, 2000). The study was carried out between June and October,
2014. The schools were selected by listing all the mixed schools in the
urban and semi- urban areas by simple random sampling. Results: A total
of 721 subjects completed the questionnaire. The age of respondents
ranged between 3 and 18 years, with mean age of 12.71 and standard
deviation of 3.03 years. Twenty one children fulfilled the criteria for
autism giving a prevalence of 2.9%. There is a significant association
between age in categories (fishers exact test, p = 0.013) and social
class (p=0.033). Conclusion: The prevalence of autism was 2.9%; and the
socio-economic characteristics of childhood autism in South East
Nigeria are similar to those in other parts of the world