Affiliation:
1. Department of Child Neurology and Development Schneider Children's Medical Center, Petah Tikva, Israel
2. Department of Military Medicine, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
3. Israel Defense Forces, Medical Corps, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
Abstract
Background
The association between hearing impairment and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is unclear. Therefore, we aimed to assess this association in Israel's national sample of over 1.1 million adolescents.
Methods
We conducted a nationwide, population-based, cross-sectional study of all Israeli adolescents (n = 1,175,534, 58% males; mean age, 17 yrs) who were examined before mandatory military service during 2004 to 2020. Board-certified specialists confirmed diagnoses of hearing impairment and severe ADHD.
Main Outcomes and Measures
We compared the prevalence of severe ADHD in adolescents with and without hearing impairment. Associations were analyzed using logistic regression models and sensitivity analyses accounting for hearing impairment type (sensorineural vs. conductive) and severity.
Results
Of the 8,769 adolescents with hearing impairment, 57 were diagnosed with severe ADHD (prevalence = 0.65%). Of the 1,166,765 adolescents without hearing impairment, 3,936 were diagnosed with severe ADHD (prevalence = 0.29%). We found a significant association between hearing impairment and severe ADHD (odds ratio = 1.93 [95% confidence interval, 1.47–2.49]), which persisted in a multivariable model adjusted to age, sex, socioeconomic status, educational status, cognitive performance, and immigration status (odds ratio = 1.70 [95% confidence interval, 1.29–2.20]). The association also persisted when stratified by hearing impairment type (sensorineural vs. conductive) and severity.
Conclusions
Adolescents with hearing impairment had 70% increased odds of severe ADHD. Study findings suggest that active screening of patients with hearing impairment for ADHD should be considered.
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Subject
Neurology (clinical),Sensory Systems,Otorhinolaryngology
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