Behaviour disorders in urban primary school children in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

ABSTRACT

PIP: This study examined the prevalence of behavior disorders and their relation to age, gender, and gender segregation among urban primary school children in Dhaka, Bangladesh, between February and April 1994. A total of 1288 school children were screened for possible behavior disorders and the Rutter B2 scale was used to determine their prevalences and associations. The study revealed that 13.4% of the population displayed some type of behavior disorder; males were twice as commonly affected as females. Emotional (3.2%), conduct (8.9%), and undifferentiated disorders (1.2%) were noted; all were more prevalent in males than in females. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed a significant relationship with male gender and higher grades for conduct disorder and all disorders combined. None of the three independent variables showed a positive correlate with emotional disorder. The high prevalence of mental disorders among primary school children in the country exemplifies the need for a mental health program for the children including screening, full evaluation, and expert care.