Journal Article

Deprivation, ethnicity and the prevalence of intellectual and developmental disabilities

Emerson, Eric

2012

Overview

BackgroundSocial gradients and ethnic disparities have been reported in some forms of intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, information on the association between area deprivation, ethnicity and other forms of intellectual and developmental disabilities are inconclusive.AimTo estimate the independent association between household disadvantage, local area deprivation, ethnicity and the identification of intellectual and developmental disability.MethodsCross-sectional survey involving multilevel multivariate analyses of data extracted from educational records on household disadvantage, local area deprivation, ethnicity and identified intellectual and developmental disability in a sample of English children aged 7–15 years (n=5.18 million).ResultsLower household socio-economic position was associated with increased rates of identification of intellectual and developmental disabilities especially less severe forms of intellectual disability. Higher area deprivation was independently associated with increased rates of identification of less severe forms of intellectual disability but decreased rates of identification of profound multiple intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. Minority ethnic status was, in general, associated with lower rates of identification of intellectual and developmental disabilities. Exceptions to this general pattern included higher rates of identification of less severe forms of intellectual disability among Gypsy/Romany and Traveller children of Irish heritage, and higher rates of identification of more severe forms of intellectual disability among children of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage.ConclusionsChildren whose development is already compromised (and especially children with less severe intellectual disabilities) are at increased risk of exposure to social conditions that are themselves inimical to healthy development.

• Publisher: BMJ Publishing Group Ltd,BMJ Publishing Group,BMJ Publishing Group LTD
• Subject: Adolescent / Adult and adolescent clinical studies / Age / Autism / Autistic disorder / Biological and medical sciences / Censuses / Child / Child and infant health / Child psychiatry / Children / Children & youth / Cross-Sectional Studies / Developmental disabilities / Developmental Disabilities - epidemiology / Developmental Disabilities - ethnology / Disabilities / disability SI / Education / ethnic minorities SI / Ethnicity / Female / General aspects / Households / Humans / Intellectual deficiency / Intellectual disabilities / Intellectual disability / Learning disabilities / Male / Medical sciences / Minority Groups - statistics & numerical data / Miscellaneous / Multivariate Analysis / Neighborhoods / Pervasive child development disorders / Poverty - ethnology / Prevalence / Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry / Psychopathology. Psychiatry / Psychosocial Deprivation / Public health. Hygiene / Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine / Residence Characteristics - statistics & numerical data / Schools / Schools - statistics & numerical data / Social Conditions / social deprivation / socio-economic circumstances / Socioeconomic Factors / Socioeconomics / United Kingdom / White people