Geda Biftu, Berhane Yemane, Assefa Nega, Worku Alemayehu
School of Nursing and Midwifery, College of Health and Medical Sciences, Haramaya University, Harar, Ethiopia.
Addis Continental Institute of Public Health, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
PLoS One. 2016 May 5;11(5):e0152791. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152791. eCollection 2016.
The type and extent of childhood disability in Ethiopia is unknown due to lack of accurate and reliable data. This study tried to assess the magnitude and types of disabilities among children 0-14 years of age in eastern Ethiopia.
We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study among households that are under demographic and health surveillance in eastern Ethiopia. The study population consisted of all children aged 0-14 year. A structured questionnaire was used to assess the type and severity of the disability.
A total of 21,572 children in the age group 0-14 were screened for disability. Of which 586 (2.7%; 95% CI = 2.5%, 2.9%) had at least one kind of disability at the time of the survey. The proportion of disability increased as children were older; measured by the extended Mantel-Haenszel (M-H) chi square for linear trend (M-H = 48.74; P<0.001). Hearing impairment was the most common reported disability; 417 (71.2%; 95% CI = 67.5%, 74.9%). Among children with a disability, 179 (31.0%; 95% CI = 27.3%, 34.7%) had a combination of multiple disabilities and about a third, 200 (34.1%; 95% CI = 30.3%, 37.9%) had developed the disability during infancy. Magnitude of disability was higher among boys 335 (2.98%; 95% CIs = 2.66%, 3.30%) compared to girls 251 (2.44%; 95% CIs = 2.14%, 2.74%).
Childhood disability is a health challenge in the study area and is already common at an early age. Permanent disability among children may be prevented by an early screening program in the routine child health services and adequate care, especially for hearing impairment.
由于缺乏准确可靠的数据，埃塞俄比亚儿童残疾的类型和程度尚不清楚。本研究试图评估埃塞俄比亚东部0至14岁儿童中残疾的严重程度和类型。
我们在埃塞俄比亚东部接受人口与健康监测的家庭中开展了一项基于社区的横断面研究。研究人群包括所有0至14岁的儿童。使用结构化问卷评估残疾的类型和严重程度。
总共对21,572名0至14岁的儿童进行了残疾筛查。其中，586名（2.7%；95%置信区间=2.5%，2.9%）在调查时至少有一种残疾。残疾比例随着儿童年龄的增长而增加；通过扩展的Mantel-Haenszel（M-H）线性趋势卡方检验测量（M-H=48.74；P<0.001）。听力障碍是报告中最常见的残疾；417名（71.2%；95%置信区间=67.5%，74.9%）。在残疾儿童中，179名（31.0%；95%置信区间=27.3%，34.7%）患有多种残疾，约三分之一，200名（34.1%；95%置信区间=30.3%，37.9%）在婴儿期就出现了残疾。男孩的残疾严重程度高于女孩，男孩为335名（2.98%；95%置信区间=2.66%，3.30%），女孩为251名（2.44%；95%置信区间=2.14%，2.74%）。
儿童残疾是研究地区面临的一项健康挑战，并且在早年就已很常见。通过常规儿童健康服务中的早期筛查计划和充分护理，尤其是针对听力障碍的护理，可以预防儿童的永久性残疾。
