title: [Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Aymara children].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The assessment of Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) among ethnic groups may reveal environmental or cultural variables that influence the appearance of this disorder.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To assess the presence and characteristics of ADHD in two communities of the inland Arica valleys (Azapa and Lluta), where the Aymara population predominates.
  
  
  METHODS
  Starting from a screening based on the Conner's test, we evaluated 79 children aged 8 to 13 years. Sixty children were of Aymara origin and 19 children were of non-Aymara origin. Twenty Aymara and 9 non-Aymara children had ADHD. They were compared with a group of patients from Santiago, Chile (110 children) that were previously assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients from Azapa/Lluta displayed similar characteristics to those from Santiago. However the former had significantly less psychiatric comorbidities than the latter. On the other hand, the non-Aymara subgroup of Azapa/Lluta displayed an increased rate of comorbidities and was exclusively of the combined subtype, although their sample size is too small to draw strong conclusions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although we cannot dismiss biological variables, the importance of family values and the respect to authorities may be protective factors for ADHD, associated to Aymara culture. Our findings suggest that the clinical characteristics of ADHD are not uniform among ethnic groups and cultures. The relative contribution of environmental and genetic factors in this variability remain to be determined.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Neurología y Psiquiatría, Hospital de Niños Dr. Luis Calvo Mackenna, Chile.
authors.forename: Ximena
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Carrasco
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Daiber
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rothhammer
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huerta
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Opazo
authors.forename: Liza
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paz Lagos
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rothhammer
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aboitiz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007199:Indians, South American / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000208:ethnology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales