Objective To investigate the prevalence of behavior problems in twins aged 10-16 years, and to provide a theoretical basis for the prevention and treatment of twins’ behavior problems. Methods Sixty-four pairs of twins aged 10-16 years in Chengdu city participated in this study. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), completed by parents, was used to assess behavior problems. The prevalence of behavior problems in twins and the distribution characteristics for boys and girls and zygosities were estimated. Results The prevalence of behavior problems in the twins in this study was 6.25%. This was lower than the prevalence in a nationwide non-twins epidemiologic survey (P=0.0045). No significant difference was found in the prevalence of behavior problems between boys and girls and between different zygosities (P=0.891; P=0.258). Social problems were the main behavior problems noted in these twins, accounting for 38%. Conclusions The prevalence of behavior problems in twins aged 10-16 years is lower than that of non-twins. Social problems are the most common behavior problems in the twins in this study.
