Frequency of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in children aged 6-11 years old in the city of Piranshahr

Background. One of the most common childhood disorders is attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to determine the prevalence of ADHD in children aged 6-11 years in Piranshahr city (Iran).

Methods. This descriptive-analytical study involved six hundred primary school students (300 girls and 300 boys) in Piranshahr city who were enrolled in the study using stratified random sampling. The frequency of ADHD was assessed using the short form of the Conners Teacher and Parent Rating Scale.

Results. The frequency of inattention and hyperactivity indices in girls were respectively 13% and 15%, per Conners Parents Rating Scale, and 14.6% and 16.6% per Conners Teacher Rating Scale, while the frequency of ADHD index was 6.33% and 8.66%, respectively. The frequency of inattention and hyperactivity indexes in boys were respectively 11% and 17% per Conners Teacher Rating Scale, and 20.6% and 24.6%, respectively, per Conners Parents Rating scale, whereas the frequency of ADHD index was based on parents and teacher was 5.6% and 18.3%, respectively.

Conclusion. This study showed that the prevalence of children prone to ADHD in the Piranshahr region is relatively high in comparison with other regions of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to study this disorder in the identity card of children at the entrance to kindergartens and schools to identify the patients, so through timely and appropriate intervention, its important complications in adolescence and adulthood can be prevented.