title: Prevalence of intellectual disability in Western Australia.
abstract: Record linkage of multiple sources was used to ascertain children with intellectual disability born in Western Australia between 1983 and 1992. The prevalence was 14.3 per 1000, 10.6 per 1000 for children with mild or moderate and 1.4 per 1000 for those with a severe level of intellectual disability. Prevalence was greater in males (prevalence ratio 1.6) and in children of Aboriginal mothers (prevalence ratio 2.3). Although prevalence of intellectual disability has been found to vary according to study location, method of ascertainment and criteria used, these estimates are similar to estimates from several recent studies.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Western Australia. hleonard@cyllene.uwa.edu.au
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Leonard
authors.forename: Beverly
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Petterson
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bower
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanders
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008607:Intellectual Disability / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology; D008297:Male; D008498:Medical Record Linkage; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014904:Western Australia / Q000453:epidemiology