One Out of 10 Boys Taking ADHD Medication

American Journal of Public Health News Release Feb02

More than 10 percent of boys in grades one through five are taking medication for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in one North Carolina County. Three times as many boys as girls take medication to treat the condition. Overall, more than 7 percent of students in these grades were taking ADHD medication (representing 71 percent of previously diagnosed children), with fourth and fifth graders being the highest at 9.4 percent and 9.2 percent, respectively. About 8 percent of the White children are receiving medication treatment, compared to 5 percent of the African-American children and 2 percent of Hispanic children. About 15 percent of the boys and five percent of the girls were diagnosed with ADHD. The study examined parental reports of 6099 children in 17 public elementary schools in semi-rural Johnson County, North Carolina. Because Johnston County has a racial/ethnic and educational profile similar to North Carolina as a whole, the authors of the study think that medication treatment rates in Johnston county are probably similar to many counties in North Carolina. Since treatment rates for ADHD are usually viewed as abnormally high if they exceed 3 to 5 percent, the authors suggest the national public health impact of ADHD nationally may be underestimated by educators and public health officials. The study was conducted by researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Source: Prevalence of Medication Treatment for Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder Among Elementary School Children in Johnston County, North Carolina.
Contact: Andrew S. Rowland, UNM Dept of Family and Community Medicine, ph 505-272-1391
 http://www.apha.org/news/press/2002_journal/feb02.htm 5feb02