Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder in children: complete census of a Brazilian municipality.

IF 2.1 4区医学 Q3 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH

Cadernos de saude publica Pub Date : 2026-09-18 eCollection Date: 2026-01-01 DOI:10.1590/0102-311XEN255925

Cassiano Forcelini, Ana Luisa Carregosa, Eduarda Leitzke, Gilmar da Silva, Regina Ampese, Itamara de Moura, Helena de Melo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been an issue of great concern worldwide, leading to attempts to estimate prevalence based on population samples, including those conducted in Brazil. No epidemiological study in this field has covered an entire population. We aimed to determine the prevalence of ASD in a Brazilian population. This complete census was conducted from March to December 2024 in the municipality of Coxilha, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil. All children aged 2.5 to 12 years were screened using the Mini-TEA scale. Children with a score above the 100% sensitivity threshold (> 4 points) were then examined by a neurologist with experience in ASD to establish the diagnosis according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Demographic data were obtained. There was no refusal to participate. Among the 475 children (240 boys and 235 girls), we found 16 ASD cases (15 boys and 1 girl), i.e., 1 in 30 children (1 in 16 boys and 1 in 235 girls), yielding an overall prevalence of 3.36% (6.25% among boys and 0.42% among girls). All ASD cases had also been diagnosed by other professionals. Only one child's previous diagnosis of ASD was rejected. ASD showed a high prevalence and male predominance in this unprecedented complete census. The overall prevalence is similar to that reported in the United States but higher than previous Brazilian estimates. Further research is necessary to investigate etiological factors.

查看原文本刊更多论文

儿童自闭症谱系障碍的患病率：巴西一个城市的完整人口普查。

自闭症谱系障碍（ASD）的患病率一直是全世界高度关注的一个问题，导致人们试图根据人口样本估计患病率，包括在巴西进行的研究。这一领域的流行病学研究尚未涵盖所有人口。我们的目的是确定ASD在巴西人群中的患病率。这项完整的人口普查于2024年3月至12月在巴西南大德州Coxilha市进行。所有2.5至12岁的儿童都使用Mini-TEA量表进行筛查。评分高于100%敏感阈值（bbbb4分）的儿童由具有ASD经验的神经科医生检查，根据《精神障碍诊断与统计手册》确定诊断。获得了人口统计数据。没有人拒绝参加。在475名儿童（240名男孩和235名女孩）中，我们发现了16例ASD病例（15名男孩和1名女孩），即30名儿童中有1例（16名男孩和235名女孩中有1例），总体患病率为3.36%（男孩6.25%，女孩0.42%）。所有的ASD病例也都是由其他专业人士诊断的。只有一个孩子之前的ASD诊断被拒绝。在这次前所未有的全面普查中，ASD显示出高患病率和男性优势。总体流行率与美国报告的相似，但高于巴西以前的估计。有必要进一步研究其病因。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Cadernos de saude publica 医学-公共卫生、环境卫生与职业卫生

CiteScore

5.30

自引率

7.10%

发文量

356

审稿时长

3-6 weeks

期刊介绍： Cadernos de Saúde Pública/Reports in Public Health (CSP) is a monthly journal published by the Sergio Arouca National School of Public Health, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (ENSP/FIOCRUZ). The journal is devoted to the publication of scientific articles focusing on the production of knowledge in Public Health. CSP also aims to foster critical reflection and debate on current themes related to public policies and factors that impact populations'' living conditions and health care. All articles submitted to CSP are judiciously evaluated by the Editorial Board, composed of the Editors-in-Chief and Associate Editors, respecting the diversity of approaches, objects, and methods of the different disciplines characterizing the field of Public Health. Originality, relevance, and methodological rigor are the principal characteristics considered in the editorial evaluation. The article evaluation system practiced by CSP consists of two stages.