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Meta-Analysis
. 2023 Apr 20;49(1):48.
doi: 10.1186/s13052-023-01456-1.

The global prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Nader Salari  1 , Hooman Ghasemi  2 , Nasrin Abdoli  3 , Adibeh Rahmani  4 , Mohammad Hossain Shiri  2 , Amir Hossein Hashemian  5 , Hakimeh Akbari  6 , Masoud Mohammadi  7
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

The global prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Nader Salari et al. Ital J Pediatr. .

Abstract

Background: Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder is a developmental neurological disorder that has three basic characteristics: Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity, and impulsivity. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents.

Methods: This investigation was carried out using the meta-analysis method under PRISMA guidelines. Until October 2020, the articles were gathered by scanning PubMed, Scopus, WOS, and Science Direct databases. The second version of Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software was used to run analyses after extracting data from chosen papers. At a significance level of 0.05, the I2 test was used to analyze study heterogeneity, and the Egger test was used to assess publication bias.

Results: This analysis includes 61 cross-sectional research, with 53 research used to determine the prevalence of ADHD in children, 7.6% of 96,907 children aged 3 to 12 years had ADHD (95% confidence interval: 6.1-9.4%), and 5.6% of teenagers aged 12 to 18 years have ADHD (95% confidence interval: 4.8-7%). The prevalence of ADHD in children and adolescents according to the DSM-V criterion is also higher than previous diagnostic criteria, according to studies.

Conclusion: The findings of this study based on meta-analysis show the high prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The findings of this study demonstrate the importance of management and policy in the treatment and control of ADHD in children and adolescents.

Keywords: Adolescents; Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; Children; Psychiatric disorder.

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Conflict of interest statement

Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A funnel plot demonstrating the prevalence of hyperactivity in children under the age of 12 years
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Forest plot, the prevalence of hyperactivity in children under the age of 12 years old
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
A funnel plot demonstrating the prevalence of hyperactivity in children aged 12 to 18 years old
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Overall Hyperactivity prevalence in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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