ADHD in Tunisian Adolescents: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Abstract

Objective: The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of ADHD in a population of high school students and to explore the factors associated with this disorder. Method: This was a cross-sectional study that had included 447 high school students. The diagnosis of ADHD was made by the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale translated in Arabic language. The sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated by a preestablished questionnaire. The self-esteem was assessed by the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: The prevalence of ADHD was 18.1%. The logistic regression analysis showed an association between the diagnosis of ADHD and the bad relationships with parents (odds ratio [OR] = 16.43; p < 10-3), the presence of personal psychiatric antecedents (OR = 12.16; p < 10-3), internet misuse (OR = 2.39; p = .014), and maltreatment antecedents (OR = 3.16; p = .009). Conclusion: The prevalence of ADHD in this study was one of the highest prevalence reported. The factors associated with ADHD may have diagnostic and therapeutic implications.