The Prevalence of ADHD Among Primary School Children in an Arabian Society

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to identify Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders among primary school children in the State of Qatar. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study is conducted from March 2004 to February 2005. A total of 2,000 primary school students, ages 6 to 12, are selected, and 1,541 students (77.1%) give consent to participate in this study. An Arabic questionnaire is used to collect the sociodemographic variables and a standardized Arabic version of the Conners’ Classroom Rating Scale for ADHD symptoms. Of the students surveyed, 51.7% are males and 48.3% females. Results: The data reveal that 112 boys (14.1%) and 33 girls (4.4%) scored above the cutoff for ADHD symptoms, thus giving an overall prevalence of 9.4%. Children who have a higher score for ADHD symptoms have school performance poorer than those with lower scores ( p = .003). Conclusion: The study reveals that ADHD is found to be a common problem among school children in Qatar.