The Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Children With Reading Disabilities in a Multiethnic City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Numerous studies have been conducted to explore the risk factors for reading disabilities (RDs) among children. Based on these studies, factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, and the home literacy environment have been widely found to be associated with children who have RDs. However, children from a multiethnic city are seldom investigated. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of RDs and the potential environmental risk factors in Shihezi, Xinjiang, where people of multiple ethnicities, including Han and ethnic minority children, live and study together. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Shihezi. A two-stage sampling strategy was applied to randomly select six primary schools in the city. In total, 6,539 students in grades two to six participated in this study. There were 6,065 valid questionnaires obtained for further analyses. We used the Dyslexia Checklist for Chinese Children and the Pupil Rating Scale to screen for the children with RDs. The χ2 test and multivariate logistic regression were employed to reveal the potential risk factors of RDs. The prevalence of children with RDs was 3.38% in Shihezi City and was significantly different between Han (3.28%) and Uighur (7.42%) children (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of RDs between Han and Hui children. Among these children with RDs, the gender ratio of boys to girls was nearly 2:1. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that gender (P < 0.01), learning habits (P < 0.01), and the home literacy environment (P < 0.01) were associated with RD. The results may be useful in the early identification and intervention of children with RDs, especially among ethnic minorities.

Association between parenting styles and dyslexia in primary school students: the mediating role of home literacy environment

“…On the other hand, consistent with our findings, there were pieces of evidence showing that a conscious learning habit had a significant impact on the occurrence of dyslexia ( Feng et al, 2022 ). Learning habit is an individual automatic learning behavior, conscious study habits are conducive to stimulate the enthusiasm and initiative of students to learn.…”

“…In addition, we found that the relationship between boys’ parenting style and dyslexia was more pronounced. To our knowledge, there is a general consensus among current researchers that boys are at a higher risk of developing dyslexia than girls ( Arnett et al, 2017 ; Feng et al, 2022 ; Yang et al, 2022 ). In line with a prior study, the gender of children had an impact on parenting styles ( Zhong et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Rashid conducted a study among dyslexic children and found a significant correlation between HLE and children’s passage comprehension as well as spelling scores ( Rashid et al, 2005 ). Similarly, recent research has confirmed that Chinese children with dyslexia often come from homes with poor literacy environments ( He et al, 2014 ; Feng et al, 2022 ). Therefore, the HLE is a crucial factor in the development of reading ability in children.…”

“…This suggesting that difficulties in arithmetic, reading or spelling, are notably more prevalent among children with academic challenges ( Georgitsi et al, 2021 ). Moreover, studies have demonstrated that DD affects approximately 10% of children ( Doust et al, 2022 ) and 3–12.6% of school-age children in China ( Feng et al, 2022 ), which can persist into adulthood. Unfortunately, dyslexia not only prevents children from enjoying reading, but also increases their learning difficulties and often deprives them of opportunities to develop other potential, which in turn has a considerable negative impact on mental health outcomes and behaviors ( Soriano-Ferrer et al, 2021 ; Xiao et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Dyslexia may be a lifelong condition, but timely and early intervention can improve reading abilities, thereby enhancing prognosis. As research progresses, scholars are delving deeper into environmental factors that heighten the risk of dyslexia, including prenatal and perinatal environments, school settings and family environments ( Feng et al, 2022 ; Torppa et al, 2022 ). Among these, the family environment, closely related to children’s lives, plays a significant role in influencing dyslexia and is the most amenable to intervention.…”