Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in Bandarabbas primary school students in 2010

Introduction: Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a disorder manifest in early childhood with symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity, and inattention. The symptoms affect functioning. ADHD has a wide range of prevalence and different prevalence had been reported in the world. The purpose of this study was to determine prevalence of ADHD in Bandar Abbas primary school students in 2010. Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed on 800 primary students of Bandar Abbas primary schools in 2010. The subjects were selected through a multistage random sampling method. The data were collected using diagnostic criteria from the DSM-IV questionnaire. We analyzed data using statistical tests such as chi-square and t-test. Results: In this study, 400 male and 400 female pupils were under investigation. Average age was 9&plusmn;1.4 (mean &plusmn;Sd). Based on teacher's and parents reports 11.6% and 12.3% of students were found to have ADHD, respectively. ADHD prevalence according to agreement of both parents and teachers was 9.5%. Factors such as gender and poor academic performance had significant association with ADHD (P<0.05), while age and grade had not significant association with that. Conclusion: ADHD in pupils of Bandar Abbas is estimated to have moderate prevalence compared to other regions of Iran. Because of consequences of ADHD in individual, screening children with poor academic performance seems to be necessary.