Comorbidity between obesity and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: population study with 13-15-year-olds.
OBJECTIVE
This study analyzes whether obese children have a higher risk of attention deficit/hyperactivity "characteristics" (AD/HD) than do children with other nutritional states.


METHODS
This study included 35,403 participants from 486 community schools. They completed the AD/HD scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and were weighed and measured. 2879 of the participants were obese and 78 were morbidly obese (BMI>40).


RESULTS
A discrete, nonsignificant, increment was found in the AD/HD characteristics of male participants with morbid obesity, as compared with the other nutritional states. Among morbidly obese females, the prevalence of AD/HD characteristics was slightly superior, although not significantly, to that found in participants with normal weight, overweight or obese (BMI<40).


CONCLUSIONS
Among nonclinical populations with a communitarian origin, previous findings reporting high rates of AD/HD in obese children are not replicated. This increment in the prevalence of AD/HD among hospitalized obese children could be the result of selection bias.
Rojo
Luis
L
Department of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain. luis.rojo@uv.es
Ruiz
Elías
E
Domínguez
José Alberto
JA
Calaf
Myralys
M
Livianos
Lorenzo
L
D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology