Prevalence of visual and hearing impairment in adults with intellectual disabilities in the southwestern Iran: a cross sectional study

Abstract

Abstract A disability is a set of physical or mental disorders that personally or socially prohibit a person from having a normal and independent life. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of visual and hearing impairment in adults with intellectual disabilities in southwestern Iran. This cross-sectional study was conducted on people with disabilities in all rehabilitation centers of the Khuzestan state welfare organization in southwestern Iran from 1st January 2015 to 20th March 2016. The questionnaire was designed using the International Classification of Diseases-10 based criteria of intellectual disabilities diagnosis, in which it is referred to as a significantly sub-average intellectual functioning, slow development during the developmental period and a deficit in adaptive behavior. The questionnaire was field tested and validated before use. Visual and hearing impairment was defined based on the International Association for the Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IASSID) international consensus statement. Two hundred cases were diagnosed to have either intellectual disabilities or visual and hearing impairment. Diagnoses of intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing impairment had been confirmed in the present screening in 79 (39.5%), 38 (19%) and 83 (41.5%) subjects, respectively. Considering the overall population of people with disabilities that refer to all rehabilitation centers of the Khuzestan state welfare organization (n=22483), the prevalence of intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing impairment in the present screening was 0.35, 0.27, and 0.37, respectively. Consanguineous marriage and history of consanguinity were the leading causes of intellectual disabilities, visual and hearing impairments in the southwestern region of Iran, most of which are avoidable. Design for the prevention of these disabilities is most recommended to decrease the proportion of avoidable disorders.