Parent-reports may still accurately reflect ADHD prevalence

Parent-reported cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis in their children may be a more accurate method for monitoring state- and national-based prevalence of the disorder than previously thought, according to a research letter published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Susanna N. Visser, MS, and colleagues from the CDC aimed to clarify an assertion made in a previous study by Getahun and colleagues, in which the researchers suggested that parent and teacher reports of ADHD tend to inflate the overall prevalence of diagnosed ADHD on a statewide basis. To more closely observe this relationship, Visser and colleagues restricted their previous analyses of data from the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) to focus specifically on children in California aged 5 to 11 years who were covered by health insurance; a reflection of the criteria used in the study by Getahun and colleagues.

Susanna N. Visser

Results showed that, nationally, 9.5% (95% CI, 9-10) of children aged 4 to 17 years had ever received a parent-reported ADHD diagnosis. This compares with the number of children with health insurance diagnosed with ADHD (9.8%; 95% CI, 9.2-10.3). Researchers then restricted the data to reflect only children in California, showing 4.7% (95 CI, 2.5-8.4) of insured California children aged 5 to 11 years with a history of ADHD.

Considering Getahun and colleagues’ estimate of parent-reported ADHD prevalence of 4.9%, Visser and colleagues suggested that their data contrasts with the assumption that parent-reported ADHD “overestimates true prevalence,” as stated by Getahun and colleagues.

“When considering these factors, the estimated prevalence of parent-reported ADHD in California closely approximates the rate of documented ADHD diagnosis in medical records of a southern California population, with the rate found by Getahun and colleagues falling within the 95% CI of the NSCH estimate of ADHD among children in California, regardless of age,” researchers said.

For more information:

Getahun D. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;167:282-288.

Visser SN. JAMA Pediatr. 2013;doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.2364.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.