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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review

Authors: Mohammad Didar Hossain, Helal Uddin Ahmed, M M Jalal Uddin, Waziul Alam Chowdhury, Mohd S Iqbal, Razin Iqbal Kabir, Imran Ahmed Chowdhury, Afzal Aftab, Pran Gopal Datta, Golam Rabbani, Saima Wazed Hossain, Malabika Sarker

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of complex neurodevelopmental disorders. The prevalence of ASD in many South Asian countries is still unknown. The aim of this study was to systematically review available epidemiological studies of ASD in this region to identify gaps in our current knowledge.

Methods

We searched, collected and evaluated articles published between January 1962 and July 2016 which reported the prevalence of ASD in eight South Asian countries. The search was conducted in line with the PRISMA guidelines.

Results

We identified six articles from Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka which met our predefined inclusion criteria. The reported prevalence of ASD in South Asia ranged from 0.09% in India to 1.07% in Sri Lanka that indicates up to one in 93 children have ASD in this region. Alarmingly high prevalence (3%) was reported in Dhaka city. Study sample sizes ranged from 374 in Sri Lanka to 18,480 in India. The age range varied between 1 and 30 years. No studies were found which reported the prevalence of ASD in Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Afghanistan. This review identifies methodological differences in case definition, screening instruments and diagnostic criteria among reported three countries which make it very difficult to compare the studies.

Conclusions

Our study is an attempt at understanding the scale of the problem and scarcity of information regarding ASD in the South Asia. This study will contribute to the evidence base needed to design further research and make policy decisions on addressing this issue in this region. Knowing the prevalence of ASD in South Asia is vital to ensure the effective allocation of resources and services.
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Metadata
Title
Autism Spectrum disorders (ASD) in South Asia: a systematic review
Authors
Mohammad Didar Hossain
Helal Uddin Ahmed
M M Jalal Uddin
Waziul Alam Chowdhury
Mohd S Iqbal
Razin Iqbal Kabir
Imran Ahmed Chowdhury
Afzal Aftab
Pran Gopal Datta
Golam Rabbani
Saima Wazed Hossain
Malabika Sarker
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1440-x

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