title: The prevalence of ADHD: its diagnosis and treatment in four school districts across two states.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the epidemiology of ADHD in communities using a DSM-IVTR case definition.
  
  
  METHODS
  This community-based study used multiple informants to develop and apply a DSM -IVTR-based case definition of ADHD to screening and diagnostic interview data collected for children 5-13 years of age. Teachers screened 10,427 children (66.4%) in four school districts across two states (SC and OK). ADHD ratings by teachers and parent reports of diagnosis and medication treatment were used to stratify children into high and low risk for ADHD. Parents (n = 855) of high risk and gender frequency-matched low risk children completed structured diagnostic interviews. The case definition was applied to generate community prevalence estimates, weighted to reflect the complex sampling design.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ADHD prevalence was 8.7% in SC and 10.6% in OK. The prevalence of ADHD medication use was 10.1% (SC) and 7.4% (OK). Of those medicated, 39.5% (SC) and 28.3% (OK) met the case definition. Comparison children taking medication had higher mean symptom counts than other comparison children.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our ADHD estimates are at the upper end of those from previous studies. The identification of a large proportion of comparison children taking ADHD medication suggests that our estimates may be conservative; these children were not included as cases in the case definition, although some might be effectively treated.
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA mark-wolraich@ouhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Mark L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Wolraich
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Robert E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: McKeown
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Susanna N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Visser
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bard
authors.affiliation: University of Florida College of Medicine, Jacksonville, USA.
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cuffe
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Neas
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Lorie L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Geryk
authors.affiliation: University of Colorado Colorado Springs, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Doffing
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bottai
authors.affiliation: Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Ann J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Abramowitz
authors.affiliation: University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, USA.
authors.forename: Laoma
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beck
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina, Columbia, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Holbrook
authors.affiliation: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Danielson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009825:Oklahoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012574:Schools; D013022:South Carolina / Q000453:epidemiology