A Population-Based Study on Injury Risk and Disparities Among Children With ADHD

Abstract

Objective: Impaired attention and inhibitory control put children with ADHD at potentially high risk of injury—one of the leading causes of disability in the general pediatric population. Existing research has yet to examine this important health risk using nationally representative samples. This population-based study aimed to address this gap. Methods: National estimates of injury occurrences were generated from 66,236 children in the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey 2010–2019 datasets. Multiple logistic regression models further examined the impact of injury type, age, race/ethnicity, sex, parental education, income, marital and insurance status on injury prevalence. Results: Compared to children without ADHD, those with ADHD have significantly higher injury prevalence ( OR = 1.20, 95% CI [1.07, 1.33]) across injury types and most sociodemographic subgroups. Conclusions: Children with ADHD are more likely to experience injury. Future research should investigate mechanisms of injury disparities to inform future preventive efforts.

The Economic Burden of Injuries in Children With ADHD in the U.S. From 2011 to 2020

“…Families of children with ADHD with low-income levels and those covered only by public programs were found to incur less family-paid medical expenditures related to injuries. One possible contributor to such a rise in injury-related medical expenditures may be the increasing awareness of pediatric injuries by parents/guardians for their child with ADHD given the accumulating evidence that children with ADHD are at higher risk of injuries than their counterparts without ADHD (Shen et al, 2023). Combined with the understanding of both short-term and long-term consequences of pediatric injuries (Ruiz-Goikoetxea et al, 2018), families might be more likely to seek medical treatments for their injured child compared to 10 years ago.…”

“…Of all U.S. children with ADHD, 16.6% have had at least one injury-related condition every year compared to 12.6% of those without ADHD. Children with ADHD are also more likely to suffer from severe injuries (Shen et al, 2023), a top cause of childhood fatalities and disability in the U.S. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2023).The heightened prevalence of injuries among children with ADHD calls for further research to examine the consequences of those injuries, one important aspect of which is the economic burden of injury on families of children with ADHD. According to CDC, $31.6 billion per year is spent treating and managing ADHD in the U.S. (CDC, 2022).…”

“…Of all U.S. children with ADHD, 16.6% have had at least one injury-related condition every year compared to 12.6% of those without ADHD. Children with ADHD are also more likely to suffer from severe injuries (Shen et al, 2023), a top cause of childhood fatalities and disability in the U.S. (National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2023).…”