This investigation will describe and analyze the epidemiology of neurodevelopmental and other childhood disabilities in disadvantaged and culturally diverse populations. A large and unique data set on six types of disability (mental retardation, epilepsy, movement disorders, speech disorders, blindness and deafness) is available for the study from community surveys recently completed in Bangladesh, Jamaica and Pakistan. All three countries employed a common two-stage study design and identical research instruments and data base programs. At stage I all children in the communities were screened and at stage II children with positive screening results plus samples of children with negative screening results were examined by a physician and psychologist teams. Screening and risk factor data are available for more than 22,000 children and detailed clinical data are available for approximately 7,200 children. Using this data set, the proposed five-year research plan has five specific aims.
The first aim i s to evaluate the reliability and validity in different cultures of research methodology designed to screen for disabilities in 2 to 9 year-old children, to collect data on risk factors for disability and to make diagnostic assessments. The plan is to identify the questions and test items that appear reliable and valid across all three countries.
The second aim i s to use the screening and clinical data to obtain estimates of the prevalence of childhood disability in the communities studied.
The third aim i s to investigate the major causes and risk factors for childhood disability in the communities surveyed. The proportion of disabilities among surviving children that might have been prevented by interventions such as nutritional supplements (e.g., iodine, vitamin A), immunizations, sanitation, and trauma prevention devices will be estimated.
The fourth aim i s to use the findings from this study to obtain insights into the needs and resources for rehabilitation and special care of disabled children in the less developed world. The fifth aim is to develop plans to apply the methods developed in this study to research in under-served and culturally diverse communities within the United States.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
First Independent Research Support & Transition (FIRST) Awards (R29)
Project #
5R29NS027971-03
Application #
3477921
Study Section
Epidemiology and Disease Control Subcommittee 2 (EDC)
Project Start
1990-01-01
Project End
1994-12-31
Budget Start
1992-01-01
Budget End
1992-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Columbia University (N.Y.)
Department
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
064931884
City
New York
State
NY
Country
United States
Zip Code
10027
Durkin, M S; Khan, N Z; Davidson, L L et al. (2000) Prenatal and postnatal risk factors for mental retardation among children in Bangladesh. Am J Epidemiol 152:1024-33
Durkin, M S; Hasan, Z M; Hasan, K Z (1998) Prevalence and correlates of mental retardation among children in Karachi, Pakistan. Am J Epidemiol 147:281-8
Olsen, S J; Durkin, M S (1996) Validity of hospital discharge data regarding intentionality of fatal pediatric injuries. Epidemiology 7:644-7
Durkin, M S; Kuhn, L; Davidson, L L et al. (1996) Epidemiology and prevention of severe assault and gun injuries to children in an urban community. J Trauma 41:667-73
Laraque, D; Barlow, B; Durkin, M et al. (1995) Injury prevention in an urban setting: challenges and successes. Bull N Y Acad Med 72:16-30
Laraque, D; Barlow, B; Durkin, M et al. (1995) Children who are shot: a 30-year experience. J Pediatr Surg 30:1072-5;discussion 1075-6
Durkin, M S; Wang, W; Shrout, P E et al. (1995) Evaluating a ten questions screen for childhood disability: reliability and internal structure in different cultures. J Clin Epidemiol 48:657-66
Durkin, M S; Hasan, Z M; Hasan, K Z (1995) The ten questions screen for childhood disabilities: its uses and limitations in Pakistan. J Epidemiol Community Health 49:431-6
Durkin, M S; Davidson, L L; Desai, P et al. (1994) Validity of the ten questions screened for childhood disability: results from population-based studies in Bangladesh, Jamaica, and Pakistan. Epidemiology 5:283-9
Durkin, M S; Islam, S; Hasan, Z M et al. (1994) Measures of socioeconomic status for child health research: comparative results from Bangladesh and Pakistan. Soc Sci Med 38:1289-97

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