Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-mkpzs Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-03T12:14:23.107Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Behaviour Disorder in Pre-school Children in Hong Kong

A Two-Stage Epidemiological Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Siu-Luen Luk ,
Patrick Wing-Leung Leung ,
John Bacon-Shone ,
See-Yuen Chung ,
Peter Wing-Ho Lee ,
Sylvia Chen ,
Richard Ng ,
Felice Lieh-Mak ,
Lillian Ko  and
Virginia C. N. Wong
...Show all authors
Siu-Luen Luk*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago, PO Box 913, Dunedin, New Zealand
Patrick Wing-Leung Leung
Affiliation:
Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay, Sandy Bay, Hong Kong
John Bacon-Shone
Affiliation:
Department of Statistics, University of Hong Kong
See-Yuen Chung
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong
Peter Wing-Ho Lee
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong
Sylvia Chen
Affiliation:
Children's Assessment Centre, Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay, Sandy Bay, Hong Kong
Richard Ng
Affiliation:
Children's Assessment Centre, Duchess of Kent Children's Hospital at Sandy Bay, Sandy Bay, Hong Kong
Felice Lieh-Mak
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong
Lillian Ko
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong
Virginia C. N. Wong
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong
C. Y. Yeung
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, University of Hong Kong
*
∗Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

A representative sample of 855 Hong-Kong Chinese children aged 36–48 months were assessed using the BSQ and the PBCL. Good reliability for both instruments were found. For the BSQ and PBCL, 12.75% and 27.5% were above the cut-off points of 10+ and 12 + respectively and 5.9% were above both cut-off points. In the second stage, 234 subjects were recruited by stratified random sampling according to the results of the screening stage. A clinician interviewed the parent, child and teacher before making a diagnosis. The prevalence of behaviour disorder was: nil, 53.7%; dubious, 23.1 %; mild, 18.0%; moderate, 4.5%; and severe, 0.7%. There were significantly more boys in the categories mild, moderate and severe.

Type
Research Article
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 158 , Issue 2 , February 1991 , pp. 213 - 221
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1991 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abe, K. Ohat, M. Amatomi, M. et al (1982) Persistence and predictive value of behaviours of 3–year-olds: a follow-up study at 8 years. Acta Paedopsychiatrica, 48, 185–191.Google Scholar
Anderson, D. R. (1983) Prevalence of behavioural and emotional disturbance and specific problem types in a sample of disadvantaged preschool-aged children. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 12, 130–136.Google Scholar
Baker, I. Hughes, J. Street, E. et al (1983) Behaviour problems in children followed from 5 to 8 ½–9 years of age and their relation to educational attainment. Child Care, Health and Development, 9, 339–348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barkley, R. A. (1988) Child behaviour rating scales and checklists. In Assessment and Diagnosis in Child Psychopathology (eds Rutter, M. Tuma, A. H. & Lann, I. S.). New York: The Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Behar, R. & Stringfield, S. (1974) A behaviour rating scale for the preschool child. Developmental Psychology, 10, 601–610.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Campbell, S. B. & Breaux, A. M. (1983) Maternal ratings of activity level and symptomatic behaviours in a nonclinical sample of young children. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 8, 73–82.Google Scholar
Campbell, S. B. Breaux, A. M. Ewing, L. J. et al (1986) Correlates and predictors of hyperactivity and aggression: a longitudinal study of parent-referred problem preschoolers. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 14, 217–234.Google Scholar
Coleman, J. Wolkind, S. & Ashley, L. (1977) Symptoms of behaviour disturbance and adjustment to school. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 18, 201–209.Google Scholar
Cornely, P. & Dromet, E. J. (1986) Prevalence of behaviour problems in three-year-old children living near Three Mile Island: a comparative analysis. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 27, 489–498.Google Scholar
Earls, F. (1980) Prevalence of behaviour problems in 3–year-old children: a cross-national replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 37, 1153–1157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Earls, R. & Richman, N. (1980) The prevalence of behaviour problems in three-year-old children of West Indian-born parents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 21, 99–106.Google Scholar
Fagot, B. I. (1984) The consequents of problem behaviour in toddler children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 12, 385–396.Google Scholar
Fleiss, J. L. (1981) Statistical Methods for Rates and Proportions (2nd edn). New York: John Wiley & Sons. Google Scholar
Goyette, C. H. Conners, C. K. & Ulrich, R. F. (1978) Normative data on revised Conners parent and teacher rating scales. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 6, 221–236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Griffiths, R. (1984) The Ability of Young Children (revised edn). Buckinghamshire: The Test Agency Ltd. Google Scholar
Jenkins, S. Bax, M. & Hart, H. (1980) Behaviour problems in preschool children. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 21, 5–17.Google Scholar
Kagan, J. Reznick, J. S. & Snidman, N. (1988) Biological bases of childhood shyness. Science, 240, 167–171.Google Scholar
Langhorne, J. E. Jr Loney, J. Paternite, C. E. et al (1976) Childhood hyperkinesis: a return to the source. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 85, 201–209.Google Scholar
Lerner, J. A. Inui, T. S. Trupin, E. W. et al (1985) Preschool behaviour can predict future psychiatric disorders. Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry, 24, 42–48.Google Scholar
McQuire, J. & Richman, N. (1986 a) Screening for behaviour problems in nurseries: the reliability and validity of the Preschool Behaviour Checklist. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 27, 7–32.Google Scholar
McQuire, J. & Richman, N. (1986 b) The prevalence of behaviour problems in three types of preschool group. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 27, 455–472.Google Scholar
Minde, K. & Minde, R. (1977) Behavioural screening of pre-school children – a new approach to mental health. In Epidemiological Approaches in Child Psychiatry (ed. Graham, P. J.). London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Reynell, J. (1969) Reynell Developmental Language Scales (experimental edns). Windsor: NFER.Google Scholar
Richman, N. & Graham, P. J. (1971) A behavioural screening questionnaire for use with 3–year-old children: preliminary findings. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 12, 5–33.Google Scholar
Richman, N. Stevenson, J. E. & Graham, P. J. (1975) Prevalence of behaviour problems in 3–year-old children: an epidemiological study in a London Borough. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 16, 277–287.Google Scholar
Richman, N. Stevenson, J. E. & Graham, P. J. (1982) Preschool to School: A Behavioural Study. London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Rutter, M. & Graham, P. J. (1968) The reliability and validity of the psychiatric assessment of the child. I. Interview with the child. British Journal of Psychiatry, 114, 563–579.Google Scholar
Sandberg, S. (1981) On the overinclusiveness of the diagnosis of hyperkinetic syndrome. In Intervention Strategies with Hyperactive Children (ed. Gittelman, M.). New York: Sharpe.Google Scholar
Schachar, R. Rutter, M. & Smith, A. (1981) Characteristics of situationally and pervasively hyperactive children: implications in syndrome definition. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, 22, 375–392.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, E. Schachar, R. Thorley, G. et al (1986 a) Conduct disorder and hyperactivity. I: Separation of hyperactivity and antisocial conduct in British child psychiatric patients. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 760–767.Google Scholar
Taylor, E. Everitt, B. Thorley, G. et al (1986 b) Conduct disorder and hyperactivity. II. A cluster analytic approach to the identification of a behavioural syndrome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 149, 768–777.Google Scholar
Wolf, M. (1970) Child training and the Chinese family. In Family and Kinship in Chinese Society (ed. Freedman, M.). Stanford: Stanford University Press.Google Scholar
Wolkind, S. & Kruk, S. (1985) From child to parent: early separation and the adaptation to motherhood. In Longitudinal Studies in Child Psychology and Psychiatry (ed. Nicol, A. R.), chpt 4. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.