Classification, prevalence, prevention and rehabilitation of intellectual disability: an overview of research in the People's Republic of China.
China's 1% ID rate still holds, but early screening and joined-up records remain rare.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Adkins et al. (1997) looked at every paper they could find on intellectual disability in China. They wanted to know how many people have ID and what help they get.
The team read studies from 1980 to 1996. They wrote a plain-language summary for doctors and teachers.
What they found
About 1 out of every 100 people in China has intellectual disability. That number matches the rest of the world.
Most cities had no good tests to find ID early. Few places offered therapy or school help.
How this fits with other research
Lai et al. (2012) later tracked kids in Taiwan and saw ID rise from 0.44% to 0.58%. The jump shows the 1997 snapshot still fits, but counts can grow when tracking gets better.
Lin (2009) used Taiwan's full registry and found the same male-to-female ratio K et al. saw. Both papers agree boys are found more often than girls.
Kapoor et al. (2024) ran a big door-to-door survey in India. They also found about 1% prevalence, proving the 1997 China number holds across Asia.
Pitetti et al. (2007) blended Finnish health and social records to reach 0.7%. That multi-register trick is exactly what K et al. said China needed but still lacks.
Why it matters
If you work in Asia or with immigrant families, treat 1% as your planning baseline. Push for simple screening tools like the ones Finland now uses. When you see low counts in your clinic, remember girls and rural kids are still missed most.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The People's Republic of China is a developing country with all the problems and challenges that face such countries all over the world. Progress has been hampered by scarcity of resources, and a lack of relevant information and appropriate skills, as well as by the stigma traditionally attached to people with intellectual disability. The present rapid economic development has made possible further improvement and expansion of educational opportunities, and health and rehabilitation services. According to a recent census and sample surveys conducted in the People's Republic of China, the overall prevalence rate of people with disabilities was estimated to 4.9%. Thus, China has more individuals with disabilities than any other country in the world. According to these figures, the prevalence of intellectual disability in the population is approximately 1%. For children younger than 14 years of age, the prevalence is around 2%, which accounts for 66% of all handicapped children, making it the most frequent childhood disability. Today, the existing medical facilities, and educational and social welfare organizations cannot meet the tremendous need of care and services. The problems of the large number of disabled children and adults are a major challenge for contemporary Chinese society. This paper is devoted to research pertinent to intellectual disability in China. With a few exceptions, only publications in the English language were included in this review, which makes the overview selective rather than comprehensive. Publications on classification systems and diagnostic criteria, screening methods and assessment instruments, prevalence rates, aetiology and risk factors, prevention and intervention efforts, special education, and families with children with intellectual disability are presented.
Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR, 1997 · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2788.1997.tb00694.x