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The Impact of Disability on the Lives of Children; Cross-Sectional Data Including 8,900 Children with Disabilities and 898,834 Children without Disabilities across 30 Countries

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  • Hannah Kuper
  • Adrienne Monteath-van Dok
  • Kevin Wing
  • Lisa Danquah
  • Jenny Evans
  • Maria Zuurmond
  • Jacqueline Gallinetti

Abstract

Background: Children with disabilities are widely believed to be less likely to attend school or access health care, and more vulnerable to poverty. There is currently little large-scale or internationally comparable evidence to support these claims. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of disability on the lives of children sponsored by Plan International across 30 countries. Methods and Findings: We conducted a cross-sectional survey including 907,734 children aged 0–17 participating in the Plan International Sponsorship Programme across 30 countries in 2012. Parents/guardians were interviewed using standardised questionnaires including information on: age, sex, health, education, poverty, and water and sanitation facilities. Disability was assessed through a single question and information was collected on type of impairment. The dataset included 8,900 children with reported disabilities across 30 countries. The prevalence of disability ranged from 0.4%–3.0% and was higher in boys than girls in 22 of the 30 countries assessed – generally in the range of 1.3–1.4 fold higher. Children with disabilities were much less likely to attend formal education in comparison to children without disabilities in each of the 30 countries, with age-sex adjusted odds ratios exceeding 10 for nearly half of the countries. This relationship varied by impairment type. Among those attending school, children with disabilities were at a lower level of schooling for their age compared to children without disabilities. Children with disabilities were more likely to report experiencing a serious illness in the last 12 months, except in Niger. There was no clear relationship between disability and poverty. Conclusions: Children with disabilities are at risk of not fulfilling their educational potential and are more vulnerable to serious illness. This exclusion is likely to have a long-term deleterious impact on their lives unless services are adapted to promote their inclusion.

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  • Hannah Kuper & Adrienne Monteath-van Dok & Kevin Wing & Lisa Danquah & Jenny Evans & Maria Zuurmond & Jacqueline Gallinetti, 2014. "The Impact of Disability on the Lives of Children; Cross-Sectional Data Including 8,900 Children with Disabilities and 898,834 Children without Disabilities across 30 Countries," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(9), pages 1-11, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0107300
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107300
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Deon Filmer, 2008. "Disability, Poverty, and Schooling in Developing Countries: Results from 14 Household Surveys," The World Bank Economic Review, World Bank, vol. 22(1), pages 141-163, January.
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    1. Hannah Kuper & Tracey Smythe & Antony Duttine, 2018. "Reflections on Health Promotion and Disability in Low and Middle-Income Countries: Case Study of Parent-Support Programmes for Children with Congenital Zika Syndrome," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-9, March.
    2. Francisco-Javier Prado-Galbarro & Copytzy Cruz-Cruz & Jorge-Ameth Villatoro-Velázquez & Juan-Manuel Martínez-Núñez, 2021. "Influence of Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use in Mexican Municipalities on Early Childhood Development," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-13, September.
    3. Nathaniel Scherer & Islay Mactaggart & Chelsea Huggett & Pharozin Pheng & Mahfuj-ur Rahman & Adam Biran & Jane Wilbur, 2021. "The Inclusion of Rights of People with Disabilities and Women and Girls in Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Policy Documents and Programs of Bangladesh and Cambodia: Content Analysis Using EquiFrame," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-19, May.
    4. Rachel Lowe & Christovam Barcellos & Patrícia Brasil & Oswaldo G. Cruz & Nildimar Alves Honório & Hannah Kuper & Marilia Sá Carvalho, 2018. "The Zika Virus Epidemic in Brazil: From Discovery to Future Implications," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, January.
    5. Tess Bright & Sarah Wallace & Hannah Kuper, 2018. "A Systematic Review of Access to Rehabilitation for People with Disabilities in Low- and Middle-Income Countries," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-34, October.
    6. Xanthe Hunt & Ashrita Saran & Howard White & Hannah Kuper, 2021. "PROTOCOL: Effectiveness of interventions for improving educational outcomes for people with disabilities in low‐ and middle‐income countries: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 17(4), December.

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