Household size is associated with disability at birth and co-occurring language delays in South African children with intellectual disabilities

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

Authors

Donohue, Dana K.
Bornman, Juan
Granlund, Mats

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Informa Healthcare

Abstract

OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study was to examine whether four socioeconomic factors,namely caregiver age, caregiver education, family income, and/or household size were related to the presence of motor delays or unintelligible speech in South African children with intellectual disabilities. METHODS : Caregivers of children with intellectual disabilities completed a biographical questionnaire regarding their home environments. Other items on the questionnaire queried whether their children experienced the co-occurring developmental impairments of motor delays or unintelligible speech. RESULTS : A total of 145 caregivers were included in the analyses. Two logistic regressions were run with the set of four socioeconomic factors as predictors, and motor delays and intelligible speech as the outcome variables. Household size was a statistically significant predictor of whether children evidenced intelligible speech. CONCLUSION : Children living in dwellings with more people were less likely to have intelligible speech. The processes through which large household size might influence children’s language are discussed.

Description

Keywords

Household size, Intellectual disability, Motor delays, Risk factors, South Africa, Unintelligible speech

Sustainable Development Goals

Citation

Donohue, DK, Bornman, J & Granlund, M 2014, 'Household size is associated with disability at birth and co-occurring language delays in South African children with intellectual disabilities', Developmental Neurorehabilitation, no. 1-5 , doi :10.3109/17518423.2014.890256