Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: A Nationwide Multi-center Population-based Study Among Children Aged 6 to 12 Years.

Hao Zhou; Xiu XU; Weili Yan; Xiaobing Zou; Lijie WU; Xuerong Luo; Tingyu LI; Yi Huang; Hongyan Guan; Xiang Chen; Meng Mao; Kun Xia; Lan Zhang; Erzhen LI; Xiaoling GE; Lili Zhang; Chunpei LI; Xudong Zhang; Yuanfeng Zhou; Ding Ding; Andy Shih; Eric Fombonne; Yi Zheng; Jisheng Han; Zhongsheng Sun; Yong-hui Jiang; Yi Wang

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Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: A Nationwide Multi-center Population-based Study Among Children Aged 6 to 12 Years.

Author: Hao ZHOU ¹ ; Xiu XU ² ; Weili YAN ³ ; Xiaobing ZOU ⁴ ; Lijie WU ⁵ ; Xuerong LUO ⁶ ; Tingyu LI ⁷ ; Yi HUANG ⁸ ; Hongyan GUAN ⁹ ; Xiang CHEN ¹⁰ ; Meng MAO ¹¹ ; Kun XIA ¹² ; Lan ZHANG ¹¹ ; Erzhen LI ⁹ ; Xiaoling GE ¹³ ; Lili ZHANG ¹ ; Chunpei LI ¹ ; Xudong ZHANG ¹³ ; Yuanfeng ZHOU ¹ ; Ding DING ¹⁴ ; Andy SHIH ¹⁵ ; Eric FOMBONNE ¹⁶ ; Yi ZHENG ¹⁷ ; Jisheng HAN ¹⁸ ; Zhongsheng SUN ¹⁹ ; Yong-Hui JIANG ²⁰ ; Yi WANG ²¹
Author Information

1. Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
2. Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
3. Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
4. Child Development Behavior Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, China.
5. Department of Children and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081, China.
6. Department of Psychiatry, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, 410011, China.
7. Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014, China.
8. Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
9. Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020, China.
10. The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, 325027, China.
11. Child Health Care, Chengdu Women and Children's Hospital, Chengdu, 610091, China.
12. Center for Medical Genetics, School of Life Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, 410013, China.
13. Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China.
14. Huashan Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 200040, China.
15. Autism Speaks, 1 East 33rd Street, New York, NY, 10016, USA.
16. Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
17. Beijing Anding Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100088, China.
18. Neuroscience Research Institute, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
19. Beijing Institutes of Life Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100021, China.
20. Department of Genetics and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA.
21. Department of Neurology, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, 201102, China. yiwang@shmu.edu.cn.
Collective Name:LATENT-NHC Study Team
Publication Type:Journal Article
Keywords: Autism Spectrum Rating Scale; Autism spectrum disorder; China; Co-morbidity; Prevalence
From: Neuroscience Bulletin 2020;36(9):961-971
CountryChina
Language:English
Abstract: This study aimed to obtain the first national estimate of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Chinese children. We targeted the population of 6 to 12-year-old children for this prevalence study by multistage convenient cluster sampling. The Modified Chinese Autism Spectrum Rating Scale was used for the screening process. Of the target population of 142,086 children, 88.5% (n = 125,806) participated in the study. A total of 363 children were confirmed as having ASD. The observed ASD prevalence rate was 0.29% (95% CI: 0.26%-0.32%) for the overall population. After adjustment for response rates, the estimated number of ASD cases was 867 in the target population sample, thereby achieving an estimated prevalence of 0.70% (95% CI: 0.64%-0.74%). The prevalence was significantly higher in boys than in girls (0.95%; 95% CI: 0.87%-1.02% versus 0.30%; 95% CI: 0.26%-0.34%; P < 0.001). Of the 363 confirmed ASD cases, 43.3% were newly diagnosed, and most of those (90.4%) were attending regular schools, and 68.8% of the children with ASD had at least one neuropsychiatric comorbidity. Our findings provide reliable data on the estimated ASD prevalence and comorbidities in Chinese children.