Frequency of occurrence of specific reading disorder and associated psychiatric comorbidity in a sample of Egyptian primary school students

Abstract

Background Specific reading disorder (dyslexia) is common in primary school students. Data on prevalence rates in Egypt are needed along with better screening tools to guide future research. We aimed to estimate the frequency of dyslexia in a sample of fourth and fifth graders. Method A cross‐sectional study was conducted in Eastern Cairo through multistage random selection of students from three governmental primary schools. A total of 586 students were recruited. Only 567 students fulfilled the inclusion criteria; they were subjected to screening by Goodenough Draw‐a‐Man test for intellectual quotient (IQ), the Reading Disability Test of Nasra Gilgil (RDT) to identify dyslexic children, Wechsler Children Intelligence Scale for thorough detection of IQ, and the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K‐SADS‐PL) to detect psychiatric comorbidity. Results The frequency of occurrence of specific reading disorder (dyslexia) was 11.3% among the studied sample of Egyptian primary school students. The gender ratio was nearly 1.3:1 boys to girls. Comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders was found in 57.8% of the sample. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was present in 33%, generalized anxiety disorder in 21.6%, and major depressive disorder in 16.2% of patients. Conclusion Dyslexia was prevalent in fourth and fifth graders. A meaningful presence of ADHD, anxiety, and depressed mood was detected in students. There is a need for better screening and awareness for early intervention and service provision. The cross‐sectional design, lack of collateral information, and records precluded inference of casualty. The lack of rural comparator and samples from other governorates limit generalization of results.

Prevalence of Developmental Dyslexia in Primary School Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…First, different operational definitions may result in a different prevalence. The common sets of the cut-off for reading achievement are 1 and 1.5 standard deviations (SD) below the mean for the same age [ 16 , 17 , 18 ]. Second, environmental variables (e.g., regions, socioeconomic status) and other factors (e.g., grade, sub-deficit) may also influence each child’s risk of dyslexia.…”

“…In addition, the gender ratio of DD is the subject of an ongoing debate [ 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Most studies reported that more boys suffered from DD than girls, and the gender ratio of boys to girls was about 3:1 [ 34 , 35 , 36 ], but some studies found no differences in the prevalence of DD between boys and girls [ 18 , 31 ]. The latter interpreted the over-representation of boys in DD prevalence to be a result of bias in behavioral observation [ 37 ].…”

Spoken Word Recognition Enhancement Due to Preceding Synchronized Beats Compared to Unsynchronized or Unrhythmic Beats

“…The third condition was an isochronous but unsynchronized sequence used in order to investigate any differences between the condition of beats and words being in sync with the condition of the two different auditory stimuli being out of sync. Sex differences were also examined, as boys are reported to have higher incidence of auditory processing perceptual deficits as well as neurodevelopmental disorders (e.g., dyslexia, El Sheikh et al, 2016 ; learning disability, Fortes et al, 2016 ).…”

Συναισθηματικές Επιπτώσεις Της Δυσλεξίας Και Προτάσεις Πρόληψης Και Αντιμετώπισής Τους

“…Όσο νωρίτερα ανιχνευτεί, τόσο το καλύτερο είναι για την αυτοεκτίμηση και τις μελλοντικές επιλογές των ατόμων (Sako, 2016). Η έγκαιρη διάγνωση και παρέμβαση στα παιδιά με δυσλεξία θα αυξήσει την ευκαιρία για αποκατάσταση, σώζοντας έτσι το παιδί από πολλές αρνητικές συνέπειες στο μέλλον και θα βελτιώσει σημαντικά την αυτοπεποίθηση και την κοινωνική του ικανότητα (El Sheikh et al, 2016).…”

“…Συχνά, παρατηρείται συνοσηρρότητα της δυσλεξίας με άλλες διαταραχές. Σε μία έρευνα (El Sheikh et al, 2016) με δείγμα 567 μαθητών με δυσλεξία ηλικίας 9 έως 12 ετών από το ανατολικό Κάιρο, η συννοσηρότητα με άλλες ψυχιατρικές διαταραχές βρέθηκε στο 57,8% του δείγματος. Η διαταραχή ελλειμματικής προσοχής/ υπερκινητικότητας (ΔΕΠ-Υ) ήταν παρούσα στο 33%, η γενικευμένη διαταραχή άγχους στο 21,6% και η μείζων καταθλιπτική διαταραχή στο 16,2% των ασθενών.…”