11 | 22 | 2007 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Nine Percent of U.S. Kids Fit ADHD Diagnosis Criteria

Almost 9% of all U.S. kids between the ages of 8 and 15 fit the diagnostic criteria for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), according to a study recently published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.  The study was designed, in part, to establish a national baseline for the incidence of ADHD, so that changes or fluctuations in the number of diagnoses would not go unnoticed.

The study was based on a group of 3,082 kids designed to approximate the entire population of 8-15 year-old kids in the U.S.  It then involved screening each of those participants at some point between 2001 and 2004, to identify in each the presence or lack of symptoms of ADHD.  Researchers subsequently inquired as to whether each particular child had been diagnosed with ADHD prior to the study or not.  Almost 50% of the study population identified as potentially diagnosable with ADHD was later found to have already had such a diagnosis.

Based on standard diagnostic criteria, 8.7% of all study participants did fit the criteria for a diagnosis of ADHD during the calendar year prior to the study.  Hispanics were found to be less likely than white kids to exhibit symptoms of ADHD.  Boys were more likely than girls to exhibit diagnosable symptoms.  Also, the poorest 20% of the group was more likely than the wealthiest 20% to qualify for a diagnosis of ADHD.  Researchers speculate that the income difference may dispose poorer children to environmental factors or circumstances such as premature birth, or exposure to toxins in-utero, which may ultimately correlate to a diagnosis of ADHD.

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

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