Prevalence and Correlates of ADHD Among Adolescent Students in Nigeria

Abstract

Objective: To determine the prevalence and psychosocial correlates of ADHD among adolescents in Jos, Nigeria. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive two-stage study of 487 randomly selected participants using Kiddie–Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia–Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL), Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrix (SPM) and the Children’s Global Assessment Score (CGAS). Results: The prevalence of ADHD was 8.8%. The subtypes found were inattentive (3.08%), hyperactive-impulsive (2.05%), and combined (3.08%); male:female ratio of 1.4:1. ADHD was significantly associated with use of substance by father (odds ratio [OR] = 0.35; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.154, 0.781]), use of substance by mother (OR = 0.2; 95% CI = [0.055, 0.711]), and lower education of mother (OR = 0.3 95% CI = [0.116, 0.693]). Poor quality of handwriting (χ2 = 8.120; p = .010) and impaired global functioning ( t test = 10.756; p < .001) were significantly associated with ADHD in the adolescents. Conclusion: Given the burden of ADHD, efforts should be made to establish a system for the early identification and management.