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Sex differences in developmental reading disability - New findings from 4 epidemiological studies
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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 | ||||
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Subjects: | R Medicine | ||||
Journal or Publication Title: | JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION | ||||
Publisher: | AMER MEDICAL ASSOC | ||||
ISSN: | 0098-7484 | ||||
Official Date: | 28 April 2004 | ||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 291 | ||||
Number: | 16 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 6 | ||||
Page Range: | pp. 2007-2012 | ||||
Publication Status: | Published |
Data sourced from Thomson Reuters' Web of Knowledge
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