Prevalence of teenagers with disabilities in a medium-sized municipality

Abstract

Introduction: Despite variations in the beginning and the end, adolescence is the second decade of life, 10-19 years. According to the World Report on disability among those individuals aged 0-14 years of age, 93 million had severe or moderate disabilities and 13 million severe disabilities. Therefore, this study aimed to identify adolescents with hearing, visual and physical impairment. Methods: A quantitative transversal study of a medium-sized municipality. Data was collected at interviews conducted by community health workers, with an instrument containing sociodemographic data and impairment characteristics. Data was organized in spreadsheets and analyzed for correlations between types of disabilities and other variables by chi-square test. Statistical significance was verified by a 0.05 level. Results: Physical disability prevailed over visual and auditory. An association was found between disability and level of education (p = 0.023). Conclusion: Support and incentive education policies are necessary among the disabled.