Background: Frequency, social impact, the negative effects of ADHD on personal development, make it a public health problem. Tunisian existing data confirm its frequency and severity in clinical population. The absence of data in student population has led us to develop this work.The objectives of our study were to study epidemiological profile of ADHD in school population.
Methods: The analysis involved a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted from April 2008 to October 2008 using a representative randomized multistage sample of schoolchildren between 6 and 12 years old. Measurement was performed in two stages first the parents and teachers of each children filled Conners questionnaire separately then students with the score in subscales inattention, hyperactivity with impulsivity higher than 70 were selected for psychiatric interview. Psychiatric interview was intended to confirm or refute the diagnosis of ADHD. The diagnoses were made according to DSM IV-TR. To study the possible associated factors with the disorder they were compared in children with ADHD and children without the disorder taken as controls.
Results: A total of 51 students out of 513 had ADHD. Prevalence was found to be 9,94%. For the study of factors associated with ADHD were found in males, neonatal hospitalization, psychiatric and family history of ADHD and the existence of a family dysfunctionment.
Conclusion: Our prevalence is similar to the majority of those reported by studies conducted through the same methodology as ours. The etiology of ADHD is not unequivocal. The disorder appears to be multifactorial.