Prevalence of elimination disorders and comorbid psychiatric disorders in Iranian children and adolescents.

PURPOSE: Currently, there is a paucity of studies on the prevalence of Elimination Disorders among Iranian children and adolescents. Due to the ongoing need to monitor the health status of these children and adolescents, the present study aims to investigate the prevalence of Elimination Disorders and comorbid disorders in Iranian children and adolescents. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 29,781 children and adolescents age 6 to 18 years old were selected and studied from all the provinces in Iran. The sampling was carried out by employing a multistage cluster sampling method, and several clinical psychologists using semi-structured interviews collected the data. Furthermore, clinical psychologists collected demographic information (including information about gender, age, place of residence, education level, and parental education level). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. RESULTS: Generally, the prevalence of Elimination Disorders was found to be 5.4% covering both enuresis (p= 5.4, 95% CI = 5.1-5.7) and encopresis (p= 0.13, 95% CI = 0.09-0.2). The total prevalence of comorbid disorders was 38%, and among the comorbid disorders, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) (p= 11, 95% CI = 9.5-12.7) and Separation Anxiety (p= 10.6, 95% CI = 9.1-12.2) were the most prevalent. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of Elimination Disorders in Iranian children and adolescents is moderate compared to similar studies elsewhere. As for comorbid disorders, ADHD and Separation Anxiety were found to be the most prevalent disorders. Since Elimination Disorders coexist with psychiatric disorders in children, further studies of these comorbidities may give better insight into the treatment and prognosis of Elimination Disorders.

Psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents: Prevalence and sociodemographic correlates in Semnan Province in Iran.

AIM: The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic correlates in children and adolescents ages 6-18 years in semnan province. METHOD: Participants were 1037 children and adolescents ages 6 to 18 years in Semnan. This study was a survey study and its data have been taken from the National survey of Iranian Children and Adolescents' Psychiatric Disorders in 2017. A sample of children and adolescents from Semnan was selected by multistage cluster sampling method. Participants completed the K- SADS- PL interview. RESULTS: Findings showed the general prevalence of psychiatric disorders in Semnan was 24.8 (CI95%: 22.2-27.5) with a proportion of female to male 1.1:1. As the age increased, the prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders decreased. In mothers with undergraduate education, the rate of prevalence of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents was significantly lower than that of illiterate mothers (OR adjust = 0.309, p = .01). Among anxiety disorders, the highest rate of prevalence was related to Separation Anxiety Disorder (6.4%; CI95%: 5.03-8.01). Oppositional Defiant Disorder (4%; CI95%: 2.9-5.3) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (3.4%; CI95%: 2.4-4.7) had the highest rate of prevalence among behavioral disorders. Sex, Locus of life, socioeconomic status had no effect on the prevalence rate. CONCLUSION: The disorders prevalence was higher than the previous prevalence that reported in Iran. Anxiety disorders are the most common disorders. The results showed that psychiatric disorders of the children and adolescents were not different in terms of sociodemograhic factors in Semnan.