Epidemiology of developmental language disorder among children in the Arab countries: a scoping review

Objective Developmental language disorder (DLD) is a common communication disorder that impacts children's ability to learn, comprehend and use language effectively, yet it remains under-researched, particularly in the Arab countries. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive narrative summary on the epidemiology of DLD among children aged ≤10 years in the Arab countries. Design A scoping review. Data sources PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Eligibility criteria We included studies that reported on the prevalence or risk factors of DLD in children aged ≤10 years from any Arab country. Only peer-reviewed publications were considered, and the study populations were required to consist of children without underlying medical conditions known to contribute to language or speech delay. Data extraction and synthesis Two reviewers independently performed abstract and full-text screening and extracted relevant data. The risk factors identified as linked to DLD were grouped into maternal and perinatal factors, factors related to children and family and environmental factors. Results From 4832 citations, 17 were deemed eligible and included in this review. The reviewed studies were conducted in only seven Arab countries, with the majority from Egypt (eight studies, 47.1%) and Saudi Arabia (four studies, 23.5%). The reported prevalence of DLD ranged from 3.2% in Egyptian children aged 3-6 years to 25.6% in Saudi Arabian children aged 1-5 years. Among the identified risk factors for DLD were sex, low birth weight, a history of speech and language delay in the family, parental socioeconomic status, perinatal complications, larger family size and early screen exposure. Conclusion The reported prevalence of DLD varied across the seven Arab countries. Strategies to address the preventable underlying DLD-associated risk factors are required. There is a clear gap in evidence related to the burden of DLD among children in most of the 22 Arab countries, which warrants further research.