Dahlberg Anton, Larsson AnnaKarin, Fäldt Anna
Child Health and Parenting (CHAP), Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
Child Health Unit Västra Götalandsregionen, Regionhälsan, Region Västra Götaland, Sweden.
Acta Paediatr. 2025 Aug;114(8):2044-2048. doi: 10.1111/apa.70080. Epub 2025 Apr 3.
This study investigated gender differences in referrals to speech and language therapy (SLT) services in children 1.5-6.0 years of age and the distribution of children identified through universal language screening at 2.5-3.0 years within Swedish child health services.
We conducted a population-based, cross-sectional study using register data from 53 595 children. Data were collected from eight Swedish regions between 1 May 2015 and 1 June 2023, including gender, referral details and screening outcomes.
Of all children, 9.60% (n = 5144) were referred. Boys were referred significantly more often than girls (12.26% vs. 6.79%), χ(df = 1, N = 53 595) = 701.38, p < 0.001. The odds of referral were 1.94 times higher for boys (OR = 1.94, 95% CI 1.85 to 2.04). Boys were also referred at a younger median age (3.08 vs. 3.58 years). Among children who failed screening, boys were more likely to be referred within 3 months (17.2% vs. 13.5%), OR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.45 to 1.84.
Significant gender disparities exist in both screening and referral practices, with boys referred more frequently and at younger ages. Refining screening protocols is essential to ensure early and equitable intervention access for all children.
本研究调查了1.5至6.0岁儿童转介至言语和语言治疗（SLT）服务的性别差异，以及瑞典儿童健康服务中通过2.5至3.0岁通用语言筛查识别出的儿童分布情况。
我们使用来自53595名儿童的登记数据进行了一项基于人群的横断面研究。数据收集于2015年5月1日至2023年6月1日期间的瑞典八个地区，包括性别、转介详情和筛查结果。
在所有儿童中，9.60%（n = 5144）被转介。男孩被转介的频率明显高于女孩（12.26%对6.79%），χ（自由度 = 1，N = 53595）= 701.38，p < 0.001。男孩被转介的几率高出1.94倍（OR = 1.94，95% CI 1.85至2.04）。男孩被转介的中位年龄也更小（3.08岁对3.58岁）。在筛查未通过的儿童中，男孩在3个月内被转介的可能性更大（17.2%对13.5%），OR = 1.63，95% CI 1.45至1.84。
在筛查和转介实践中存在显著的性别差异，男孩被转介的频率更高且年龄更小。完善筛查方案对于确保所有儿童都能获得早期和公平的干预至关重要。
