Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review

BMC Psychiatry

Waziul Alam Chowdhury¹  Razin Iqbal Kabir²  Malabika Sarker²  Imran Ahmed Chowdhury²  Mohammad Didar Hossain²  Afzal Aftab²  Helal Uddin Ahmed³  M M Jalal Uddin⁴  Golam Rabbani⁵  Mohd S Iqbal⁶  Pran Gopal Datta⁷  Saima Wazed Hossain⁷ 

[1] Bangladesh Association of psychiatrists, National Institute of Mental Health, Bangladesh (NIMH,B);James P. Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University;National Institute of Mental Health, Bangladesh (NIMH,B);National Institute of Neurosciences & Hospital, Bangladesh (NINS,B);Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trust;Nutrition and Clinical Services Division, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b);Shuchona Foundation;

关键词: Autism spectrum disorders;    Autism;    South Asia;    Prevalence;    Bangladesh;    India;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12888-017-1440-x

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge. Methods We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines. Results We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies. Conclusions Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.

【 授权许可】

Unknown