Prevalence of learning disability is high among US children with asthma and diabetes

Background: Prevalence estimates of learning disability (LD) among US children under the age 18 indicate that about one in ten has LD, and LD is more prominent among children with multiple special health care needs. We explored association of LD with most common childhood chronic diseases, asthma and diabetes.

Methods: Prevalence of LD among children under the age of 18 with asthma and diabetes were calculated using the data from 2003 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). The NSCH was designed to produce national and state-specific prevalence estimates for a variety of health indicators and measures of children's health. Data analyses were done by SAS callable SUDAAN which allows to account for the complex survey design and to calculate accurate variance statistics.

Results: Prevalence of LD is higher in US children under the age 18 with asthma and diabetes compared to those without. Among children without asthma it was 9.0% (95% CI 8.7, 9.4) compared with 14.4% among children with asthma (OR=1.7, 95% CI 1.5, 1.9). Similarly, prevalence of LD among children without diabetes was 9.7%, compared with 18.3% among children with diabetes (OR=2.1, 95% CI 1.4, 3.2). The odds of LD among children with asthma were OR=1.5 (95% CI 1.3, 1.7) and among children with diabetes OR 1.7 (95% CI 1.1, 2.9), compared to those without and adjusted for age, gender, household education, poverty and smoking, and family structure.

Conclusion: LD is an important co-morbidity among US children under the age 18 with asthma and diabetes.