title: Environmental Risk Factors in Han and Uyghur Children with Dyslexia: A Comparative Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several studies have been conducted to explore risk factors for dyslexia. However, most studies examining dyslexia have been skewed toward Western countries, and few have considered two nationalities simultaneously. This study focused on differences in dyslexia prevalence and potential environmental risk factors between Han and Uyghur children.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study was conducted in Kashgar and Aksu, cities in Xinjiang province, China. A two-stage sampling strategy was used to recruit 2,854 students in grades 3-6 from 5 primary schools in 5 districts; 2,348 valid student questionnaires were included in the analysis. Dyslexia checklists for Chinese and Uyghur children and pupil rating scales were used to identify children with dyslexia. Questions related to the home literacy environment and reading ability were used to evaluate potential environmental risk factors. Single factor analysis and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine prevalence and risk factors for dyslexia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dyslexia prevalence differed significantly between Han (3.9%) and Uyghur (7.0%) children (P < 0.05), and the boy-to-girl diagnosis ratio was almost 2:1. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that ethnic differences in dyslexia prevalence between Han and Uyghur children could have occurred because of factors such as mother's occupation (P = 0.02, OR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.01-0.68) and the frequency with which parents told stories (P = 0.00, OR = 4.50, 95% CI = 1.67-12.11).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of dyslexia was high in all children, particularly those in the Uyghur group. Environmental factors could have been responsible for some of the differences observed. The results contribute to the early identification and management of dyslexia in children from these two groups and research examining developmental dyslexia and differences in racial genetics.
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.|Medical School, Quzhou College of Technology, Zhejiang, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Baoping
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Medical School, University of Shihezi, Xinjiang, China.
authors.forename: Pengxiang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7881-8644
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zuo
mesh_terms: D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires