Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its comorbidities in a sample of school-aged children

• Published in: Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria 2007-12, Vol.65 (4A), p.1078-1083
• Main Authors: Pastura, Giuseppe, Mattos, Paulo, Araújo, Alexandra Prufer de Queiroz Campos
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; por
• Subjects: Adolescent; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - diagnosis; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity - epidemiology; Brazil - epidemiology; Child; Comorbidity; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Humans; Interview, Psychological; Male; Prevalence; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0004-282X
• DOI: 10.1590/S0004-282X2007000600033

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a frequent condition in school-age children and commonly presents in comorbidity with other psychiatric diseases. In Brazil, there are few studies concerning non-clinical samples. The present study aims to calculate the prevalence of this disorder and its comorbidities in a sample of school-age children. Cross-sectional analytic study was conducted on a non-clinical sample of children and adolescents registered in 2003 in the elementary school of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. A screening questionnaire was used and parents of those possible affected children were invited for a clinical structured interview. The prevalence of ADHD was 8.6%. Comorbidities were present in 58% of the cases and oppositional-defiant disorder was the most common, found in 38.5%. The prevalence of ADHD and its comorbidities in this sample is similar to that observed in the literature.