Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
EUROPEAN GENERAL PRACTICE NETWORK, Timisoara, Romanya, 7 - 10 Mayıs 2015, ss.39
Prevalence of Speech and language delay in Pendik district of İstanbul and related risk factors.
Ukşaş E, Serap Çifçili, Ekinci F, Altınöz E, Küçük S.
Dept. Family Medicine, Marmara university school of medicine, Basibuyuk Istanbul, 34000 IstanbulTurkey
Phone: +905326066848
Email: serapcifcili@gmail.com
Background: Speech and language delay (SLD) is a clinic condition that negatively affects child’s
academic performance and social life in the future. When diagnosed, the prognosis can be much better
with the right therapy and treatment. Its prevalence in our country is unknown.
Research question: What is the prevalence of SLD in 3-4 years old children in Pendik district of
İstanbul? What are the probable risk factors for SLD?
Method: A sample size of 400 was calculated with %95 CI and 0, 05 standard error fort his crosssectional study. From 117 primary care physicians’ lists, 405 children were randomly selected (4 primary,
8 reserves from each physicians list). The children and their parents were invited to the primary care
centers. The investigator performed the Turkish form of Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test to each
children face to face and Ankara Developmental Screening Inventory to the primary caregiver and
children. A questionnaire of 29 probable risk factors was applied to the primary caregiver. Children who
had a low score in any of the tests were accepted as SLD and referred to a specialist in for further
evaluation.
Results: The mean age of the 405 children who participated to the study was 42,2(±3,37) months and
239 (%59) of them were male. The prevalence of SLD was determined as % 3.5. Among the children with
low paternal and maternal education level; whose mothers had smoked during pregnancy; who has SLD
positive family history and who has a primary caregiver with a different native language from Turkish, SLD
was more prevalent. As a result of logistic regression analysis, low paternal education level was
determined as a risk factor for SLD (OR= 6.2 (C.I:1,9-19,7))
Conclusions: In our study, SLD prevalence was consistent with the literature. Children with low paternal
education level are at risk for SLD.