Abstracts of more than 4,000 identified citations were reviewed, from which 507 articles and 10 manuals were retrieved and subjected to further consideration. The published studies had to be soundly designed and conform to specified inclusion and exclusion criteria to qualify for consideration. A multiple logistic regression model with random effects was used to analyze simultaneously for the effect of age, gender, diagnostic tool, and setting. This model accommodates the fact that each study estimated ADHD rates under slightly different conditions. The significant findings derived from the analysis are summarized below.
Boys have higher rates of ADHD than do girls.
Less than one-fifth of children with ADHD also have a depressive disorder. More than one-fourth of children with ADHD qualify for a diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Almost one-third of children with ADHD also have more than one comorbid condition. Overall, the prevalence rates of comorbid ADHD are high. Prevalence of ADHD in Pediatric Clinic Setting Results on prevalence of ADHD in a pediatric clinic setting are varied.