NHIS Fact Sheet # 4

Prevalence Estimates of ID/DD Among Young Children from the NHIS-D
April 7, 2005

Table 1.Estimated prevalence of mental retardation or developmental disabilities among children ages birth to 5 years by age group and census region from the 1994 and 1995 National Health Interview Survey

Census Region

Ages 0-2

Ages 3-5

Total Ages 0-5

Estimated N in Population

RSE

% of population with MR/DD

Estimated N in Population

RSE

% of population with MR/DD

Estimated N in Population

RSE

% of population with MR/DD

West

78,174

16.7

2.8%

153,764

12.8

5.1%

231,938

10.7

4.0%

Midwest

65,982

19.0

2.3%

135,707

15.2

4.5%

201,689

11.6

3.4%

Northeast

68,242

21.9

3.0%

120,260

15.3

4.9%

188,502

12.7

4.0%

South

111,992

16.2

2.9%

205,498

11.4

5.0%

317,490

9.9

4.0%

Total

324,389

9.1

2.7%

615,228

6.7

4.9%

939,617

5.5

3.8%

This table shows an analysis of the prevalence of mental retardation or developmental disabilities among non-institutionalized persons ages birth to 5 years. The estimated prevalence is much lower among children ages birth to two years than for children ages 3-5 years. Although the same criteria were used for both groups, fewer questions were available for the youngest children in the NHIS-D to identify them as having ID/DD. Amongst the youngest children, the estimated prevalence was substantially higher in the Northeast than in the Midwest. Children ages 3-5 in the Midwest also had lower than average estimated prevalence rates.

Analyses by Sheryl A. Larson, Ph.D. and Soo Yong Byun, M.A., Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota, 214B Pattee Hall, 150 Pillsbury Drive SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455. For more information call Sherri at (612) 624-6024.

To see the definitions used for mental retardation or developmental disabilities or the methods used to identify those people in the NHIS see Larson, S.A., Lakin, K.C., Anderson, L., Kwak, N, and Lee, J.H. (2000). Prevalence of Mental Retardation or Developmental Disabilities: Analysis of the 1994/1995 NHIS-DS. MR/DD Data Brief, 1 (2). Minneapolis: Research and Training Center on Community Living, University of Minnesota.

Excerpts from Analysis of the 1994-1995 NHIS-D: Fact sheets are published periodically by the Research and Training Center on Community Living and Institute on Community Integration (UCEDD), College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota. Funding for this data analysis was provided by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education through a NIDRR-funded Field Initiated project (Cooperative Agreement No. H133G020037). All analyses, interpretations, and conclusions are those of the authors.