Behavioural Problems Among Schoolchildren in Nigeria (Report‪)‬

Behavioural problems in children can be part of normal development. Such problems are often transient and may not even be noticed, and may be exhibited in certain settings and not in others (e.g. at home and not at school). In developed countries parents tend to seek advice even for minor problems, such as persistent thumb sucking, while in developing countries major psychiatric disorders such as childhood schizophrenia may go unattended. Some schoolchildren exhibit a range of deviant behaviour that may be a burden not only for parents and families, but also for teachers, other pupils and even the community. (1-7) It has been reported that about 10-26% of children in both developed and developing countries have behavioural problems, and a single child can have a range of problems. (3,6-8) However, the prevalence varies widely depending on geographical location, culture, family characteristics and socio-economic setting. (3,5) Standardised scales have been developed for the assessment of behavioural problems in children in developed countries. (9-11) The Rutter teachers' and parents' scales for assessment of behavioural problems have been standardised for use on Nigerian children. (3,12) These scales have been used in previous studies to assess the prevalence of behavioural disorders in children in western and south-eastern Nigeria. (3,6,8, 13,14) In the study by Adelekan et al. in Kwara State, Nigeria, 846 parents completed the 31-item Rutter A2 scale for their children aged 6-14 years. (14) Using the Rutter cut-off point of 13, 18.6% were found to have a behavioural problem. The prevalence of behavioural problems was also evaluated among 620 United Arab Emirates nationals aged 6-18 years; (2) 11.8% scored above the cut-off point, indicating behavioural problems. Conduct problems were more prevalent among boys and emotional problems among girls.