title: Prevalence of smoking, alcohol and substance use among adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Denmark compared with the general population.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies have shown that adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have an increased risk of alcohol and substance abuse in adulthood. An unequivocal reason for this association has not yet been identified but it has been shown that pharmacological treatment is likely to reduce this risk.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To test whether adolescents with ADHD in pharmacological treatment have a higher prevalence of smoking and use of alcohol and drugs than a matched control group from the general population. The study will also analyse associations between smoking, alcohol and drug use and comorbid psychiatric symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample in this case-control study comprised 219 adolescents aged 13-18 years, including a case group of 117 adolescents with ADHD and a control group of 102 adolescents without ADHD. Participating subjects completed a questionnaire about their use of cigarettes, drugs and alcohol and the self-report version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).
  
  
  RESULTS
  21% of ADHD probands vs. 16% controls were daily smokers (P = 0.326). Among alcohol users, 52% of ADHD probands vs. 70% controls confirmed monthly alcohol intake (P = 0.014); 4% of cases compared with 7% of controls used illicit drugs within last month (P = 0.260).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  No significant group differences were found in the prevalence of ever having smoked cigarettes, drinking alcohol or using illicit drugs between adolescents with ADHD and controls. Contrary to expectations, subjects in the control group had a more regular and heavier use of alcohol. However, ADHD patients had a heavier use of cigarettes than controls.
authors: Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Odense, Psychiatric Hospital in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark , Denmark .
authors: Anders G
authors: AG
authors: Madsen
authors: Søren
authors: S
authors: Dalsgaard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015897:Comorbidity; D003718:Denmark / Q000453:epidemiology; D017831:Diagnosis, Dual (Psychiatry); D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires