Prevalence
How common a characteristic is in a population group at a particular time. The figures on autism depend heavily on how and where counting is done.
- Also called
- frequency
Prevalence shows how common something is in a population. A large systematic review evaluated studies from 34 countries: as a median across the studies, the value was about 1 in 100 children. The individual studies, however, come to very different results. The authors attribute this to an interplay of several factors, such as how well known autism is in a region and how available assessment is. [1]
The figures depend heavily on how and where counting is done. They cannot simply be read as the “true” prevalence.
Sources and literature
- Zeidan J, Fombonne E, Scorah J, Ibrahim A, Durkin MS, Saxena S, Yusuf A, Shih A, Elsabbagh M: Global prevalence of autism: A systematic review update. Autism Research 2022;15(5):778–790. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.2696 (PMC9310578)
In detail: How common is autism?
Articles on this term
Knowledge articleScience & research
How common is autism?
Related terms
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