UNSPECIFIED (2004) Sex differences in developmental reading disability - New findings from 4 epidemiological studies. JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION, 291 (16). pp. 2007-2012. ISSN 0098-7484

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Abstract

Context An influential article published in 1990 claimed that the increased rate of reading disability in boys was a consequence of referral bias. Objectives To summarize the history of research on sex differences in reading disability and to provide new evidence from 4 independent epidemiological studies about the nature, extent, and significance of sex differences in reading disability. Design, Setting, and Participants The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study comprised 989 individuals (52.1% male) in a cohort born between April 1972 and March 1973 in Dunedin, New Zealand, and followed up from age 3 years; reading performance and IQ were assessed at ages 7, 9, and 11 years using the Burt Word Reading Test and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R), respectively. The Christchurch Health and Development Study comprised 895 individuals (50% male) in a prospectively studied cohort born in the Christchurch, New Zealand, region during a 4-month period in 1977; reading performance and IQ were assessed at ages 8 to 10 years using the Burt Word Reading Test and the WISC-R. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) Study comprised a UK nationally representative sample of 5752 children (50.1% male) aged 9 to 15 years in 1999; reading was assessed on the British Ability Scales II and IQ on the British Picture Vocabulary Scales II. The Environmental Risk Longitudinal Twin Study (E-Risk) comprised 2163 twin children from England and Wales (49.1% male) identified at birth in 1994 and 1995 and included administration of the Test of Word Reading Efficiency at age 7 years and the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence-Revised as a test of IQ at age 5 years. Main Outcome Measure Reading performance by sex in the lowest 15% of the distribution for all 4 studies, with and without taking IQ into account. Results In all 4 studies, the rates of reading disability were significantly higher in boys. For non-IQ-referenced reading disability: Dunedin study, 21.6% in boys vs 7.9% in girls (odds ratio [OR], 3.19; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 2.15-4.17); Christchurch study, 20.6% in boys vs 9.8% in girls (OR, 2.38; 95% Cl, 1.62-3.50); ONS study, 17.6% in boys vs 13.0% in girls (OR, 1.43; 95% Cl, 1.23-1.65); and E-Risk, 18.0% in boys vs 13.0% in girls (OR, 1.39; 95% Cl, 1.04-1.86). The rates for IQ-referenced reading disabilities were similar. Conclusion Reading disabilities are clearly more frequent in boys than in girls.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Subjects:	R Medicine
Journal or Publication Title:	JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
Publisher:	AMER MEDICAL ASSOC
ISSN:	0098-7484
Date:	28 April 2004
Volume:	291
Number:	16
Number of Pages:	6
Page Range:	pp. 2007-2012
Publication Status:	Published
URI:	http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/id/eprint/8526

Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge

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