Table 2 Prevalence of developmental disabilities in US children and Adolescents aged 3–17 years, 2018–2021.

From: Prevalence and trends of developmental disabilities among US children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years, 2018–2021

Characteristic

Totala

ADHD

LD

ASD

na

% (95% CI)b

P valuec

na

% (95% CI)b

P valuec

na

% (95% CI)b

P valuec

Overall prevalence

26,422

2679

9.57 (9.09–10.06)

–

1986

7.45 (7.00–7.89)

–

811

2.94 (2.67–3.21)

–

Age, year

 3–5

4652

68

1.53 (1.11–1.94)

< 0.001

153

3.40 (2.74–4.06)

< 0.001

110

2.09 (1.63–2.55)

0.005

 6–11

9588

956

9.59 (8.80–10.37)

713

7.50 (6.81–8.20)

322

3.25 (2.77–3.74)

 12–17

12,182

1655

13.39 (12.58–14.19)

1120

9.31 (8.58–10.03)

379

3.04 (2.63–3.45)

Sex

 Male

13,612

1804

12.41 (11.69–13.13)

< 0.001

1256

9.25 (8.57–9.94)

< 0.001

626

4.37 (3.93–4.82)

< 0.001

 Female

12,810

875

6.63 (6.09–7.16)

730

5.57 (5.06–6.08)

185

1.45 (1.19–1.71)

Race/ethnicityd

 Hispanic

6341

469

7.19 (6.44–7.94)

< 0.001

486

7.50 (6.72–8.27)

< 0.001

182

2.79 (2.31–3.27)

0.24

 Non-Hispanic white

13,940

1679

11.12 (10.46–11.79)

1079

7.40 (6.81–7.99)

442

2.86 (2.54–3.17)

 Non-Hispanic black

2891

315

10.50 (9.01–11.99)

251

9.20 (7.65–10.74)

98

3.69 (2.54–4.84)

 Othere

3250

216

6.61 (5.56–7.66)

170

5.31 (4.40–6.22)

89

2.79 (2.06–3.52)

Highest educational level of family members

 Less than high school

1821

175

8.68 (6.98–10.39)

0.46

198

9.95 (8.12–11.77)

< 0.001

48

2.19 (1.36–3.03)

0.11

 High school

3930

428

10.22 (9.04–11.41)

361

8.93 (7.75–10.11)

114

2.64 (2.04–3.24)

 College or higher

20,643

2074

9.54 (9.00–10.09)

1426

6.88 (6.40–7.35)

649

3.09 (2.77–3.40)

 Missing

28

2

7.05 (0.00–17.28)

1

2.29 (0.00–6.83)

0

–

Family income to poverty ratiog

 < 1.00

3161

442

12.71 (11.25–14.18)

< 0.001

404

11.93 (10.51–13.35)

< 0.001

139

4.32 (3.39–5.25)

< 0.001

 1.00–1.99

5184

567

10.26 (9.26–11.26)

467

8.46 (7.45–9.47)

185

2.99 (2.43–3.55)

 2.00–3.99

7793

730

8.39 (7.64–9.13)

529

6.41 (5.69–7.13)

252

3.11 (2.56–3.67)

 ≥ 4.00

9290

851

8.75 (8.03–9.47)

517

5.57 (4.96–6.18)

215

2.21 (1.84–2.58)

 Missing

994

89

8.42 (6.34–10.50)

69

6.26 (4.44–8.08)

20

1.56 (0.82–2.31)

Geographic region

 Northeast

4175

394

9.11 (7.91–10.32)

< 0.001

362

8.65 (7.49–9.81)

0.01

155

3.95 (3.05–4.85)

0.02

 Midwest

5590

593

10.02 (8.83–11.21)

412

7.16 (6.25–8.07)

163

2.92 (2.28–3.56)

 South

9628

1191

11.26 (10.43–12.09)

748

7.74 (6.97–8.52)

299

2.66 (2.30–3.01)

 West

7029

501

6.87 (6.12–7.62)

464

6.45 (5.63–7.26)

194

2.75 (2.24–3.27)

Characteristic

Totala

ID

Other developmental delay

   

na

% (95% CI)b

P valuec

na

% (95% CI)b

P valuec

   

Overall prevalence

26422

446

1.72 (1.51–1.93)

–

1331

5.24 (4.89–5.59)

–

   

Age, year

   

 3–5

4652

49

0.95 (0.65–1.26)

< 0.001

279

6.31 (5.42–7.19)

0.002

   

 6–11

9588

151

1.77 (1.39–2.15)

514

5.34 (4.77–5.91)

 12–17

12182

246

2.03 (1.71–2.35)

538

4.63 (4.16–5.11)

Sex

   

 Male

13612

282

2.16 (1.82–2.49)

< 0.001

867

6.76 (6.21–7.32)

< 0.001

   

 Female

12810

164

1.26 (1.03–1.49)

464

3.65 (3.25–4.06)

Race/ethnicityd

   

 Hispanic

6341

110

1.70 (1.31–2.08)

< 0.001

296

4.74 (4.02–5.47)

0.04

   

 Non-Hispanic white

13940

221

1.57 (1.31–1.84)

745

5.49 (5.00–5.97)

 Non-Hispanic black

2891

73

2.75 (1.87–3.63)

147

6.02 (4.79–7.25)

 Othere

3250

42

1.20 (0.80–1.59)

143

4.25 (3.42–5.07)

Highest educational level of family members

   

 Less than high school

1821

45

2.22 (1.45–2.98)

0.19

95

5.00 (3.73–6.27)

0.59

   

 High school

3930

76

1.90 (1.39–2.41)

188

4.86 (3.97–5.74)

 College or higher

20643

325

1.63 (1.40–1.86)

1048

5.35 (4.95–5.75)

 Missing

28

0

–

–

0

–

–

   

Family income to poverty ratiog

   

 < 1.00

3161

88

2.51 (1.88–3.15)

< 0.001

198

6.25 (5.18–7.32)

0.001

   

 1.00–1.99

5184

115

2.17 (1.65–2.69)

297

5.98 (5.16–6.80)

 2.00–3.99

7793

110

1.47 (1.09–1.85)

383

4.97 (4.37–5.57)

 ≥ 4.00

9290

119

1.28 (1.00–1.57)

408

4.69 (4.11–5.27)

 Missing

994

14

1.26 (0.52–2.00)

45

3.29 (2.08–4.50)

Geographic region

   

 Northeast

4175

84

2.35 (1.71–3.00)

0.08

238

6.21 (5.22–7.21)

0.10

   

 Midwest

5590

90

1.51 (1.10–1.92)

286

5.16 (4.38–5.95)

 South

9628

166

1.62 (1.32–1.91)

475

5.16 (4.60–5.71)

 West

7029

106

1.65 (1.18–2.11)

332

4.81 (4.16–5.45)

  1. ADHD attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, LD learning disability, ASD autism spectrum disorder, ID intellectual disability.
  2. aUnweighted number of participants.
  3. bPrevalence estimates were weighted.
  4. cP values were estimated for the difference in prevalence by strata.
  5. dRace and ethnicity were self-reported and classified based on the 1997 Office of Management and Budget standards.
  6. eOther races and ethnicities included non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native individual only, non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native and any other group, non-Hispanic Asian individual only, and other single and multiple races, or declined to respond, no response, or unknown.
  7. gThe ratio is the total family income divided by the poverty threshold.
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