Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42706519›Full record

ArticleBMC pediatrics2026

The relationship between sensory processing sensitivity trait and emotional and behavioral problems among Egyptian children.

Zeinab Nazeeh Shata, Esraa Tarek Badr, Hoda Aly Omran, Muhammad Alkasaby, Aboalmagd Hamdaalah, Azza Soliman, Sally Samir Othman

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Article in BMC pediatrics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Zeinab Nazeeh ShataMental Health Specialty, Family Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.
Esraa Tarek BadrMinistry of Health and Population, Alexandria, Egypt.
Hoda Aly OmranMinistry of Health and Population, Alexandria, Egypt.
Muhammad AlkasabyCentre for Global Mental Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Aboalmagd HamdaalahAl-Matria Teaching Hospital, Cairo, Egypt.
Azza SolimanFaculty of Education, Helwan University, Helwan, Egypt.
Sally Samir OthmanMental Health Specialty, Family Health Department, High Institute of Public Health, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt. sallysamir2015@alexu.edu.eg.ORCID 0000-0002-1869-4114

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait that has been linked to various mental health outcomes among highly sensitive children.

objectiveTo investigate the SPS trait and its relationship with emotional and behavioral problems among Egyptian children.

methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted targeting parents of Egyptian children aged 4-17 years. Participants (n = 391) were recruited via different online platforms. Besides a questionnaire on sociodemographic data, parents completed the Arabic version of Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Highly Sensitive Person Scale (HSPS) for children.

resultsSampled children's mean age was 9 ± 3.75 years, and 57.5% were males. Nearly half of them had "at-risk/elevated" total SDQ score (46.3%). The highest "at-risk/elevated" score was on the emotional problems subscale (55%). Prosocial behavior had the lowest "at-risk/elevated" score (12%). Hypersensitivity was found in 10.2% of the sampled children. A higher percentage of hypersensitive children had statistically significant "at-risk/elevated" scores on the emotional problems subscale compared to non-hypersensitive children (82.5% vs. 66.7%, p = 0.04). On the other hand, a lower percentage of hypersensitive children had statistically significant "at-risk/elevated" scores regarding hyperactivity and prosocial behavior compared to non-hypersensitive ones (27.5% vs. 48.1%, p = 0.01 and 7.5% vs. 28.5%, p = 0.004, respectively).

conclusionThe current study uncovered the substantial presence of the SPS trait among Egyptian children and its association with emotional problems. This calls for further studies to investigate its impact on the child and family, its moderators, and the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for children with high SPS.

Indexed as

Affective SymptomsChild Behavior DisordersPersonalityProblem BehaviorAdolescentChildChild, PreschoolCross-Sectional StudiesEgyptFemaleHumansMaleSurveys and QuestionnairesBehavioral problemsEgyptEmotional problemsHighly sensitive person scale for childrenHypersensitivitySensory processing sensitivity trait

Identifiers

PMID42706519
PMCPMC13548468

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.