Reading history assessment in college students: factors related to the risk of dyslexia

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5902/1984686X92665

Keywords:

Reading history, Specific learning difficulty, University students

Abstract

The assessment of reading history is an important tool for identifying risk signs of dyslexia in college students. A cross-sectional study was conducted at a public university in Northeastern Brazil to evaluate the reading history of university students, identifying factors that may affect their literacy. The sample consisted of 303 undergraduate students, mostly women (n = 194, 64%). The Sociodemographic and Academic Questionnaire and the Reading History Questionnaire (RHQ) were used to collect data online. The mean RHQ score indicated a mild level of dyslexia, with a higher median among men. Factors such as sex, family income, course withdrawals, academic support, and family risk of dyslexia showed a significant association with students' literacy. The results suggest that reading history assessment is an effective screening method for dyslexia, such factors must be considered. It is expected that adapting the RHQ to the national context may benefit Brazilian university students, promoting interventions to support those with reading difficulties in higher education.

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Author Biographies

Mara Dantas Pereira, Federal University of Bahia

PhD Candidate in Psychology at the Federal University of Bahia (UFBA). Master in Psychology from the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS). Postgraduate student in Positive Psychology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (PUC Minas). Postgraduate student in Work Psychology, Organizational Psychology, and Mental Health at Maurício de Nassau University Center (UNINASSAU).

Júlia Beatriz Lopes Silva, Federal University of Minas Gerais

PhD in Child and Adolescent Health from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG). Professor in the Department of Psychology at UFMG. Professor in the Graduate Program in Psychology: Cognition and Behavior (PPG CogCom) at UFMG.

Joilson Pereira da Silva, Federal University of Sergipe

PhD in Psychology from the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain. Professor in the Graduate Program in Psychology at the Federal University of Sergipe (PPGPSI/UFS).

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2026-05-27

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v. 39 n. 1 (2026): Revista Educação Especial – Publicação Contínua

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