ADHD Among Rural Southeastern Nigerian Primary School Children: Prevalence and Psychosocial Factors

Objective: To determine the prevalence of ADHD among primary school pupils in a rural community in Southeastern Nigeria and to determine the psychosocial factors associated with the condition. Method: One hundred eighty-one randomly selected participants had their teachers complete the school version of ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Their parents also completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the clinical interview form for the child and adolescent ADHD patients, and home version of the ADHD Rating Scale-IV. Results: Twelve (6.6%) of the children met the criteria for diagnosis. A history of prolonged labor (odds ratio [OR] = 14.1; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [2.13, 93.1]), and parents' negative assessment of their marriages (OR = 0.1; CI = [0.017, 0.567]) were the most predominant factors which independently associated with the ADHD in the children. Conclusion: There is, therefore, a need for the care of rural dwelling African children, who otherwise would have difficulties accessing health care that is concentrated in the cities.