Trends in the perceived causes of physical, hearing and visual impairments among children in Lebanon

Abstract

Introduction: Disability is the restriction in participation of the person that result from the interaction between a person’s impairment and barriers in the environment and society. Different forms of disability exist, including those of which children are born with, developed after birth, or a result of an injury, accident, or an illness. Many causes and risk factors (personal and environmental) influence childhood disability, in which many are preventable. Methods: To describe the association between the perceived causes of impairments, the individual and environmental risk factors (exposure) and the type of impairments of the child (outcome), a cross-sectional study was conducted. A sample of 300 children with physical, hearing or visual impairments was recruited from Humanity and Inclusion. Children were aged between 0-18 from all nationalities and regions of Lebanon. An assessment form including Individual, Family Information, Impairment and medical Information was filled by the caregiver over the phone. Results: Sex, Education, and Nationality are significantly associated with any type of impairment. Based on the study’s results, most children acquire a disability due to congenital/birth defects, acquired at birth. The most reported reasons among all three types of impairments are Genetics and Do Not Know; Infection among hearing; and Birth Complication among Physical. In addition, delivery at hospital, medical consultation during pregnancy, and medical follow-up after birth are associated with childhood disability. Discussion: The results had showed that many risk factors are significantly associated with childhood disabilities. Public Health Programs should focus on low- to no- cost prenatal, postnatal and infant care, Safe Delivery, Genetic testing, effective and affordable screening and treatment for ear infections, and initiatives to raise awareness on Road Accidents and Child Injury Prevention.