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Prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in 4- to 17-Year-Old Children in the General Population

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Abstract

The purposes of this study were (a) to estimate the prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) symptoms in the general preschool and school population; and (b) to analyze the influence of gender, age, and socioeconomic status (SES) variables on AD/HD symptoms. Out of the 80,000 preschool and schoolchildren living in Manizales, Colombia, a random sample of 540 children was selected. Two gender, three age (4- to 5-year olds, 6- to 11 -year olds, and 12- to 17-year olds), and three SES (low, middle, and high) groups were used. The 18 DSM-IV symptoms corresponding to AD/HD Criterion A were assessed on a scale of 0 (never) to 3 (almost always). All three demographic variables established statistically significant differences: AD/HD symptoms were more frequent in 6-to 11-year-old, low-SES, male participants. DSM-IV Criterion A for AD/HD was fulfilled by 19.8% of the boys and 12.3% of the girls. However, this difference was marginally significant only in the AD/HD Subtype I: Combined. It was concluded that demographic variables are significant correlates of the AD/HD diagnosis. The prevalence found in this study was higher than usually reported, even though only the symptomatic DSM-IV AD/HD criterion was analyzed. We failed to confirm the assumed AD/HD gender ratio.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellin, Colombia

    David Pineda (Profesor de Neurología y Neuropsicología)

  2. Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellin, Colombia

    David Pineda (Profesor de Neurología y Neuropsicología), Alfredo Ardila, Gloria C. Henao & Silvia E. Mejia

  3. Florida Atlantic University, Davie, Florida

    Monica Rosselli & Martha L. Miranda

  4. Fundacion Universitaria de Manizales, Manizales, Colombia

    Beatriz E. Arias & Luisa F. Gomez

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  1. David Pineda
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  2. Alfredo Ardila
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  4. Beatriz E. Arias
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  7. Silvia E. Mejia
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  8. Martha L. Miranda
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Pineda, D., Ardila, A., Rosselli, M. et al. Prevalence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms in 4- to 17-Year-Old Children in the General Population. J Abnorm Child Psychol 27, 455–462 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021932009936

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021932009936

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