social factors
Last reviewed 01/2018
There is an interaction between polygenic inheritance and adverse sociocultural influences.
There is a socioeconomic factor in the aetiology of about 2/3 of the mildly retarded group.
Research has identified a number of interrelated factors which are risk factors for mild mental retardation:
- low socio-economic status
- large families
- poor housing
- poverty
- poor nutrition
- inadequate stimulation
- inadequate education
The retardation associated with this environmental deprivation may be preventable by attempting to intervene early to enrich the cultural environment.