Screening for Tics Among School-Going Children in Nepal: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background

Tic disorders are one of the common neurodevelopmental disorders seen worldwide. In Nepal, however, data on it are lacking. Hence, this research aimed (1) to screen for tics among school-going children, (2) to estimate the approximate prevalence of tics in school-going children, and (3) to explore the sociodemographic profile of children with tics.

Methods

This study is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. Five schools based on a simple random sampling technique were selected. Children from grades 1 to 8 of the selected schools were recruited for the study. Semi-structured proforma and the Motor or Vocal Inventory of Tics (MOVeIT-14) screening tool were used to collect data.

Results

Of 1116 children, 633 responded, resulting in a response rate of 56.72%. Thirty-two children (n = 32) screened positive for tics, yielding an estimated prevalence of 5.1%. The mean age of children who screened positive was 10.92 ± 2.60 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1. A family history of tics was reported in 28.1% (n = 9) of the tic-positive cases. No significant correlation was found between age and the tic screening score. Although boys had a higher mean screening score (18) compared with girls (14), the difference was not statistically significant. Children with a positive family history of tics had higher screening scores than those without.

Conclusion

A significant number of children in the community were found to have tics, with a slight predominance among males. Children with a positive family history showed higher tic severity scores.