W Indian Med J
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The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis has been investigated in 477 children (243 boys, 234 girls) attending government Basic Schools in Kingston, Jamaica. Enuresis, defined as wet at least 2 nights a week, occurred in 62%, 48%, 42% and 40% at 2, 3, 4 and 5 years of age, respectively. Enuresis, defined as wet at least one night a month, occurred in 68%, 58%, 53% and 52%, respectively. ⋯ Children with a family history of enuresis (first degree relatives wet beyond 8 years of age) were more likely to be enuretic than those with no family history, the difference reaching statistical significance for girls (less than 0.001) and for the sexes combined (p less than 0.001) but not for boys alone (p = 0.06). The prevalence of nocturnal enuresis in Jamaican children is higher than reported for Black children elsewhere, which in turn is higher than in their White counterparts. Cultural attitudes to bedwetting contribute to this variation and have implications for choice of therapy, both in Jamaica and elsewhere.
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The developments in the field of childhood disability in the English-speaking Caribbean are reviewed with recent information on prevalence, needs in services, early intervention and low cost, community-based services. These developments make the possibility of providing coverage in services much more optimistic than it was 10 years ago. Needs in training, research and dissemination of information to appropriate agencies and organisations are suggested.