Sacramento Head Start Alumni Association

Prevalence of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder

Feb 27, 2002

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reports that
the
public health impact of Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
may be greatly underestimated by school and public health officials,
and
treatment may vary by race. In a recent survey, Johnston County, N.C.
parents reported that more than 15 percent of boys in grades one
through
five had been diagnosed with ADHD. While the percentage of children
diagnosed was similar for African-American and white children, eight
percent of white children in the sample received medication as
treatment,
compared to five percent of African-American children. Only two percent
of
Hispanic children received medication to treat the disorder.
http://www.nih.gov/news/pr/feb2002/niehs-04.htm