Do inattention and hyperactivity symptoms equal scholastic impairment? Evidence from three European cohorts.
BACKGROUND
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects many children, adolescents, and adults and is associated with a number of impairments. Poor academic performance is related to ADHD in clinical samples. However, it is unclear to what extent core ADHD symptoms and scholastic impairment are related in non-referred school-aged children.


METHODS
Data come from three population-based cohorts from Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, which are part of the Nordic Network on ADHD. The combined sample size was 13,087 children who were studied at ages 7-8 or 10-12 years. Teachers rated children on inattention and hyperactivity symptoms and reported children's scholastic performance on basic skills.


RESULTS
There was a significant association in all cohorts between core ADHD symptoms and scholastic impairment in reading, writing, and mathematics. Particularly, inattention was related to a two to tenfold increase in scholastic impairment. Prevalence of hyperactivity symptoms was similar across the three cohorts, but inattention was lowest among children from the Finnish cohort, after stratification on living conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
These results extend previous reports of scholastic impairment among children with clinically diagnosed ADHD to non-referred population samples from three European countries. Surveillance policies should be implemented in school systems to catch children in need of behavioral or scholastic support early.
Rodriguez
Alina
A
Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Sweden. Alina.Rodriguez@psyk.uu.se
Järvelin
Marjo-Riitta
MR
Obel
Carsten
C
Taanila
Anja
A
Miettunen
Jouko
J
Moilanen
Irma
I
Henriksen
Tine Brink
TB
Pietiläinen
Katri
K
Ebeling
Hanna
H
Kotimaa
Arto J
AJ
Linnet
Karen Markussen
KM
Olsen
Jørn
J
D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D004521:Educational Measurement; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007859:Learning Disabilities / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D018401:Sample Size; D012574:Schools / Q000592:standards; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology