Prevalence and Associated Factors of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in Egyptian Adolescents

Background: Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a burdensome disorder which is
increasingly becoming the focus of interest in adolescent psychiatry due to its impact on
the quality of life. Objective: to assess the prevalence and associated factors of obsessivecompulsive
disorder in Egyptian adolescents. Method: A nested case control study (cross
sectional study followed by case control study) was conducted on 1574 students from
Menoufia governorate, Egypt. The participants were selected from secondary schools
using multistage random sample. OCD was diagnosed using Yale-Brown Obsessive-
Compulsive Scale. Arabic version of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV was used
to measure intelligence and cognitive ability in cases with OCD. Results: The prevalence
of OCD was 3.24%. There was a statistically significant difference between OCD cases
and control, being higher in urban areas (OR 2.43, 95% CI 1.09–5.43), high
socioeconomic standard (SES) (OR 2.95, 95% CI 1.24–7.06), positive family history (OR
4.40, 95% CI 1.91–10.11) and the absence of close friend (OR 2.22, 95% CI 1.00–4.91).
There was non-significant statistical difference between OCD cases and control regarding
total IQ score and verbal IQ, but the performance IQ (PIQ) showed significant difference
between the two groups being lower in OCD cases. On logistic regression, the predictors
for OCD were high SES, positive family history, absence of close friend and low PIQ.
Conclusion: OCD was found to be prevalent among adolescents. Urban residence, high
SES, positive family history, the absence of close friend and low PIQ were significantly
associated with OCD.