Eligibility Criteria
This review included observational (cohort, cross-sectional, or
case-control studies) and experimental (data from the control group)
studies that assessed the prevalence of DCD in preterm individuals. To
be included in the review, studies must report the outcome as
“developmental coordination disorder” or “clumsy”/“dyspraxia” for
studies older than 1994, when the International Consensus Meeting in
London endorsed the term “DCD”.8 The prevalence rate
was considered as the number of participants with DCD who scored below
the cut-off point established on a validated measure of DCD.
Articles were excluded from the review for any of the following reasons:
- If reported the outcome as “developmental delays”, “coordination
difficulties”, “coordination problems”, or any other term rather
than “developmental coordination disorder”.
- Studies with insufficient data to calculate the prevalence rate or
effect sizes.
- If reported DCD for preterm and full-term populations combined without
specifying the rates for each group.
- Studies with samples selection focused on children with DCD.
- Review articles, single case studies, poster presentations, or other
systematic reviews.