TITLE:
The Prevalence of Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder among Primary School Students in an Iranian Rural Region
AUTHORS:
Hamid Alizadeh, Esmaeel Armion, Frederick L. Coolidge, Zaena D. Flores, Courtney E. Sutton
KEYWORDS:
ADHD, ADHD Prevalence, Rural Region, Iran
JOURNAL NAME:
Psychology,
Vol.6 No.3,
February
12,
2015
ABSTRACT: This
study investigated the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) in a rural population in Birjand, south east Iran. The total population
of elementary students in this region was 3408. A random sample method selected
1381 children (727 boys, and 654 girls; mean of age = 8.2 years, SD = 1.5
years). Conners Rating Scales and Diagnostic and the Statistical Manual for
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) were
used for screening and diagnosis of ADHD. Ninety-nine students (7.2% of the
students) were identified as ADHD (10.3% of the boys and 3.7% of the girls).
The combined ADHD subtype was the most prevalent (44%), hyperactive-impulsive
subtype was second (38%), and inattentive was third (17%). This subtype pattern
was the same for boys, however, hyperactive-impulsive subtype more prevalent in
girls (63%). It seems that ADHD appears to be a common problem among primary
school children in the rural Iran, and findings are similar but higher than
world-wide ADHD prevalence estimates (5.3%). The present prevalence rate for
ADHD is closer to world-wide study estimates that are based on DSM-IV and International Classification
of Diseases (ICD-10) criteria.