 |
|
Sex Differences in Developmental Reading Disability
New Findings From 4 Epidemiological Studies
Michael Rutter, MD;
Avshalom Caspi, PhD;
David Fergusson, PhD;
L. John Horwood, MSc;
Robert Goodman, MD;
Barbara Maughan, PhD;
Terrie E. Moffitt, PhD;
Howard Meltzer, PhD;
Julia Carroll, PhD
JAMA. 2004;291:2007-2012.
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 [CI], 2.15-4.17); Christchurch study, 20.6% in boys vs 9.8% in girls (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.62-3.50); ONS study, 17.6% in boys vs 13.0% in girls (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.23-1.65); and E-Risk, 18.0% in boys vs 13.0% in girls (OR, 1.39; 95% CI, 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.
Author Affiliations: Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre (Drs Rutter, Caspi, Maughan, and Moffitt) and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Dr Goodman), Institute of Psychiatry, King's College, London, England; Christchurch School of Medicine, Christchurch, New Zealand (Dr Fergusson and Mr Horwood); Office for National Statistics, London, England (Dr Meltzer); and University of Warwick, Coventry, England (Dr Carroll).
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter
What's this?
RELATED ARTICLE
Reading Disorder
Janet M. Torpy, Cassio Lynm, and Richard M. Glass
JAMA. 2004;291(16):2040.
EXTRACT
| FULL TEXT
THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES
|
Mental Health Context of Food Insecurity: a Representative Cohort of Families With Young Children
Melchior et al.
Pediatrics 2009;124:e564-e572.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Functional interaction of DYX1C1 with estrogen receptors suggests involvement of hormonal pathways in dyslexia
Massinen et al.
Hum Mol Genet 2009;18:2802-2812.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Learning Disabilities, Dyslexia, and Vision
American Academy of Pediatrics, Section on Ophthal et al.
Pediatrics 2009;124:837-844.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Reading in Children with Orofacial Clefts versus Controls
Collett et al.
J Pediatr Psychol 2009;0:jsp047v1-jsp047.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Working Memory Deficits in Children With Specific Learning Disorders
Schuchardt et al.
J Learn Disabil 2008;41:514-523.
ABSTRACT
Prevalence of Combined Reading and Arithmetic Disabilities
Dirks et al.
J Learn Disabil 2008;41:460-473.
ABSTRACT
Genetics of dyslexia: the evolving landscape
Schumacher et al.
J. Med. Genet. 2007;44:289-297.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Lifetime Prevalence of Learning Disability Among US Children
Altarac and Saroha
Pediatrics 2007;119:S77-S83.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
Suicidality, School Dropout, and Reading Problems Among Adolescents
Daniel et al.
J Learn Disabil 2006;39:507-514.
ABSTRACT
Sex and Age Differences in Self-Reported Distress Among Affluent Adolescents in an Educational Counselling Setting in the United States
Zand et al.
School Psychology International 2006;27:615-626.
ABSTRACT
Sexual dimorphism in cognition and behaviour: the role of X-linked genes
Skuse
Eur J Endocrinol 2006;155:S99-S106.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
X-linked genes and mental functioning
Skuse
Hum Mol Genet 2005;14:R27-R32.
ABSTRACT
| FULL TEXT
From the Library
Br J Ophthalmol 2004;88:978-978.
FULL TEXT
|
