Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a survey on prevalence rate among male subjects in elementary school (7 to 9 years old) in Iran

Abstract

Objective: Because there have been a few studies on the prevalence of ADHD in Iran, assessment of its prevalence seems to have a great impact on the physicians approach toward its diagnosis and management.

Method: This study listed all the schools in Mashhad and chose 12, including 24 classes and 714 students by stratified cluster sampling. A total of 72 children were selected randomly for pilot study. Their parents and teachers filled the 10-item Conners' questionnaire for ADHD separately. Clinical interview was based on DSM-IV criteria. Students with the total scores higher than the cut-off point 23 were selected for interview.

Results: A total of 109 students out of 714 schoolboys had ADHD (15.27% +/- 2.64%). The subgroups' prevalence rates were as follows: attention deficit (AD) = 4.62%, hyperactive impulsive (HI) = 5.32%, and combined type (CT) = 5.32%.

Conclusion: Frequency of ADHD among Iranian schoolboys is more than that in many countries.