title: Prevalence of obesity and overweight among Chinese children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder: a survey in Zhejiang Province, China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is often comorbid with psychiatric and developmental disorders. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of obesity and overweight among Chinese children with ADHD, and to explore which subtypes of the disorder may specifically be associated with obesity/overweight.
  
  
  METHODS
  Children meeting the DSM-IV criteria for ADHD were enrolled in the study. Weight, weight z-score, height, height z-score, BMI, and BMI z-score were used to evaluate growth status. Obesity and overweight were determined using the National Growth Reference for Chinese Children and Adolescents. Relations between the prevalence of obesity/overweight and different ADHD subtypes and pubertal development were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 158 children with ADHD (mean age: 9.2 years) were recruited for the study. The prevalences of obesity, overweight, and combined obesity/overweight were 12.0%, 17.1%, and 29.1%, respectively, which were significantly higher than in the general Chinese population (2.1%, 4.5%, and 6.6%, respectively). Multivariable analysis showed that the children with the combined subtype of ADHD and the onset of puberty were at a higher risk of becoming obese or overweight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence of obesity in Chinese children with ADHD is higher than that of the general population. Children with the ADHD combined subtype who were at the onset of puberty were more likely to be overweight or obese.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Psychology, The Children’s Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.
authors.forename: Rongwang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Shujiong
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Suhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhengyan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence