title: Prevalence of mental retardation and developmental disabilities: estimates from the 1994/1995 national health interview survey disability supplements.
abstract: In 1994 and 1995, the National Health Interview Survey included a Disability Supplement (NHIS-D) to collect extensive information about disabilities among individuals sampled as part of annual census-based household interview surveys. Here we describe the development and application of operational definitions of mental retardation and developmental disabilities to items in the NHIS-D to estimate prevalence. In our analyses, we estimate the prevalence of mental retardation in the noninstitutionalized population of the United States to be 7.8 people per thousand (.78%); of developmental disabilities, 11.3 people per thousand (1.13%); and the combined prevalence of mental retardation and/or developmental disabilities to be 14.9 per thousand (1.49%). Differences in prevalence estimates for mental retardation and developmental disabilities and among people of various ages are explored.
authors.affiliation: No affiliation available.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Lakin
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kwak Lee
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Anderson