Prevalence of disabilities related to maternal and child safety in China, 1987-2006

Objective To examine the changes in the prevalence rate,types and distribution of disability related to maternal and child safety among 0-6 years old population from 1987 to 2006 in China.Methods Quantitative analyses were carried out based on the data from the two waves of National Sample Survey on Disability in 1987 and 2006 with SPSS 16.0 statistical software.The total number of eligible subjects was 206 160 in 1987 and 191 993 in 2006,respectively.Results The prevalence rate of disability related to maternal and child safety in 2006 was 7.86‰,higher than that in 1987(7.16‰),and the prevalence rates in the boys were significantly higher than those in the girls both in 1987(7.48‰ vs.6.66‰,χ²=5.295;P=0.022)and in 2006(8.55‰ vs.7.04‰,χ²=13.835;P<0.001).The prevalence rate among the children in rural areas in 1987 was 7.62‰,and that in urban areas was 5.65‰,with a significant difference(χ²=21.886,P<0.001),and the prevalence rate in rural areas was also significantly higher than that in the urban areas in 2006(8.55‰ vs.6.00‰,χ²=31.298;P<0.001).Conclusion The disabilities related to maternal and child safety becomes a serious health problem and the adverse outcome of the disabilities is under the transition from mortality to living with disability during the 20 years in China.