Measuring inappropriate medical diagnosis and treatment in survey data: The case of ADHD among school-age children

Evans, William N.; Morrill, Melinda Sandler; Parente, Stephen T.

doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2010.07.005

Cited by 227 publications

(190 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Similarly, based on 3 samples of large scale cross-sectional US survey data, Evans et al found that children 7 to 17 years old whose birthday fell in the 120 days before school eligibility cutoff date had, compared with those born in the 120 days after cutoff, double the chance of being diagnosed with or treated for ADHD. 9 These findings corroborate our results. Whether children who start stimulant treatment for ADHD benefit academically is a topic of another study, but our previous results indicate that earlier treatment is associated with a lower risk of decline in academic performance.…”

Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

“…4 However, more recent studies suggest that a relative maturity disadvantage in childhood could have longlasting negative effects on personal achievements and health outcomes. [5][6][7] In addition, recent evidence suggests that the youngest children in the classroom are more often treated for attentiondeficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), 8,9 a childhood diagnosis that may have lasting effects through adolescence and into adulthood. 10,11 Even when the long-term benefits of being older relative to peers are still unclear, children are sometimes redshirted (ie, parents hold them back for a year before entering school) so that they will be more mature and thus start off with an academic, social, and physical advantage.…”

Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Age, Academic Performance, and Stimulant Prescribing for ADHD: A Nationwide Cohort Study

2012

PEDIATRICS

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WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: The impact of relative age at school entry on academic progress and the risk of being diagnosed with ADHD remains controversial. Stimulants are widely used as a therapeutic option for ADHD in the United States and increasingly in Europe.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS: Relative age among classmates affects academic performance among boys and girls into puberty, as well as children' s risk of being prescribed stimulants for ADHD. This should be taken into account when evaluating children' s performance and behavior in school to prevent unnecessary stimulant prescribing. abstract BACKGROUND: We evaluated whether younger age in class is associated with poorer academic performance and an increased risk of being prescribed stimulants for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS:This was a nationwide population-based cohort study, linking data from national registries of prescribed drugs and standardized scholastic examinations. The study population comprised all children born in 1994-1996 who took standardized tests in Iceland at ages 9 and 12 (n = 11 785). We estimated risks of receiving low test scores (0-10th percentile) and being prescribed stimulants for ADHD. Comparisons were made according to children' s relative age in class.RESULTS: Mean test scores in mathematics and language arts were lowest among the youngest children in the fourth grade, although the gap attenuated in the seventh grade. Compared with the oldest third, those in the youngest third of class had an increased relative risk of receiving a low test score at age 9 for mathematics (1.9; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6-2.2) and language arts (1.8; 95% CI 1.6-2.1), whereas at age 12, the relative risk was 1.6 in both subjects. Children in the youngest third of class were 50% more likely (1.5; 95% CI 1.3-1.8) than those in the oldest third to be prescribed stimulants between ages 7 and 14.CONCLUSIONS: Relative age among classmates affects children' s academic performance into puberty, as well as their risk of being prescribed stimulants for ADHD. This should be taken into account when evaluating children' s performance and behavior in school to prevent unnecessary stimulant treatment.

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Section: Figuresupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Fundingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Age, Academic Performance, and Stimulant Prescribing for ADHD: A Nationwide Cohort Study

2012

PEDIATRICS

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“…born just before the cut-off) are at a greater risk of ADHD diagnosis than children who are relatively old for the grade (i.e. born just after the cut-off) (Evans, Morrill, & Parente, 2010). And third, children living in states with more stringent school accountability laws are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD (Bokhari & Schneider, 2011).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

How French media have portrayed ADHD to the lay public and to social workers

Ponnou

Gonon

2017

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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Two models of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) coexist: the biomedical and the psychosocial. We identified in nine French newspapers 159 articles giving facts and opinions about ADHD from 1995 to 2015. We classified them according to the model they mainly supported and on the basis of what argument. Two thirds (104/159) mainly supported the biomedical model. The others either defended the psychodynamic understanding of ADHD or voiced both models. Neurological dysfunctions and genetic risk factors were mentioned in support of the biomedical model in only 26 and eight articles, respectively. These biological arguments were less frequent in the most recent years. There were fewer articles mentioning medication other than asserting that medication must be combined with psychosocial interventions (14 versus 57 articles). Only 11/159 articles claimed that medication protects from school failure. These results were compared to those of our two previous studies. Thus, both French newspapers and the specialized press read by social workers mainly defended either the psychodynamic understanding of ADHD or a nuanced version of the biomedical model. In contrast, most French TV programmes described ADHD as an inherited neurological disease whose consequences on school failure can be counteracted by a very effective medication.

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“…Several studies (Elder, 2010; Evans, Morrill, & Parente, 2010; Halldner et al, 2014; Morrow et al, 2012; Zoëga, Valdimarsdóttir, & Hernández-Díaz, 2012) showed that relative age is a significant determinant of ADHD diagnosis and treatment. Overall, the youngest children in class are twice as likely as their classmates to receive a diagnosis of ADHD and medication.…”

Section: Birth Month Mattersmentioning

confidence: 99%

ADHD: a critical update for educational professionals

Meerman

Batstra

Grietens

et al. 2017

International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well

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A medical approach towards behavioural problems could make professionals without a medical background, like teachers and other educational professionals feel inapt. In this article, we raise six scientifically grounded considerations regarding ADHD, currently the most prevalent childhood psychiatric diagnosis. These “need to knows” show just how misguided and potentially stigmatizing current conceptualizations of unruly behaviour have become. Some examples are given of how teachers are misinformed, and alternative ways of reporting about neuropsychological research are suggested. A reinvigorated conceptual understanding of ADHD could help educational institutions to avoid the expensive outsourcing of behavioural problems that could also—and justifiably better—be framed as part of education’s primary mission of professionalized socialization.

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Measuring inappropriate medical diagnosis and treatment in survey data: The case of ADHD among school-age children

Cited by 227 publications

References 47 publications

Age, Academic Performance, and Stimulant Prescribing for ADHD: A Nationwide Cohort Study

Age, Academic Performance, and Stimulant Prescribing for ADHD: A Nationwide Cohort Study

How French media have portrayed ADHD to the lay public and to social workers

ADHD: a critical update for educational professionals

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