A meta-analysis of family risk factors for learning disability

Objective To investigate family risk factors for learning disability and to provide a theoretical basis for future prevention and treatment of this disease.Methods A systematic search for case-control studies on family risk factors for learning disability between 1986 and 2014 was conducted,relevant family risk factors were extracted accordingly.A meta-analysis on the selected studies was analyzed using RevMan 5.3 software.Results A total of 11 studies were selected,involving 1 852 children with learning disability and 17 714 normal controls.Meta analysis indicated that boys(OR=2.02,95%CI=1.79-2.28),father's occupation(OR=9.51,95%CI=4.68-19.30),family financial crisis(OR=1.72,95%CI=1.45-2.04),inconsistent parental attitude toward academic performance of the child were inconsistent(OR=2.60,95%CI=2.25-3.01),seldom reading story with children(OR=4.52,95%CI=2.45-8.34),seldom encouraging children to read(OR=2.65,95%CI=1.53-4.60).Conclusion Boys,father's occupation,family financial difficulties,attitude of parents toward children's education were inconsistent,children whose parents had a lower rate of telling stories,once in a while parents encourage children to read reference books were associated with an increased risk for children with learning difficulty.