Cognitive Function of Primary School Children in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.
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Date
2017-10
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Nigerian Society of Neurological Sciences.
Abstract
Background: Cognition is a measure of a child’s intelligence and reflects the child’s performance relative to that of children of the same age. The development of intelligence is critical especially in the first 1000 days of life. Cognitive capacity can be determined by the evaluation of intelligence quotient (IQ), using sets of standardized and validated tools
such as the Draw-A-Person Test (DAPT). The cognitive performance of children has not been well studied in Nigeria.
Objective: To determine and compare the intelligence quotient (IQ) of public and private primary school children in Ilorin.
Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive studies of school children aged 6- 12 years in three Local Government Areas (LGA) of Ilorin Kwara State, using multi–staged sampling techniques. A total of 16 primary schools, 8 public and 8private school pupils were recruited for the study. The Draw-A-Person Test was used to determine IQ.
Results: There were 221 (46.0%) males and 259 (54.0%) females. The mean age was 9.2 ±1.8 years, and mean IQ was 98.0 ±14.1. The mean IQ of the private school children (99.6 ± 15.2) was significantly higher than that for the public school children (96.5 ± 12.9) p<0.0170. The prevalences of intellectual deficit, low IQ and superior IQ in the study population were 2.5%, 9.6% and 8.8%, respectively.
Conclusions: The mean IQ of school pupils was significantly higher in private than the public schools. Superior IQ was higher among private than the public school pupils, while low IQ and intellectual deficit were higher in public school pupils.
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Keywords
Draw-A-Person test,, intelligence quotient,, school age