School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China.
Stanford Center on Chinas Economy and Institutions, Freeman Spogli Institute dor International Studies, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States.
J Affect Disord. 2021 Oct 1;293:484-491. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.06.014. Epub 2021 Jun 18.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a widely recognized mental health problem in developed countries but remains under-investigated in developing settings. This study examines the prevalence, correlates, and consequences of ADHD symptoms among elementary school students in rural China.
Cross-sectional data were collected from 6,719 students across 120 rural primary schools in China on ADHD symptoms, demographic characteristics, and academic performance in reading and math. ADHD symptoms were evaluated using the caregiver-reported ADHD Rating Scale-IV.
The prevalence of ADHD symptoms was 7.5% in our sample. Male students, students in lower grade levels, and students with lower cognitive ability showed a significantly higher prevalence of ADHD symptoms (ORs = 2.56, 2.06, and 1.84, respectively; p<0.05). Left-behind children showed a significantly lower prevalence of ADHD symptoms than did children who were living with their parents (OR = 0.74, p < 0.05). Adjusted regressions show that students with ADHD symptoms scored 0.12 standardized deviations lower in reading (p < 0.05) and 0.19 standardized deviations lower in math (p < 0.01).
The ADHD Rating Scale-IV is a screening scale rather than a diagnostic test. Caregiver self-report measures also may underestimate ADHD symptoms for our sample.
ADHD is a common disorder among rural students in China and appears to be contributing to poor academic outcomes. The higher prevalence of ADHD among students with low cognitive ability also suggests that many rural children in China face multifactorial learning challenges. Taken together, the findings indicate a need for educators and policymakers in rural China to develop programs to reduce risk and support students with ADHD symptoms.
注意缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）是发达国家广泛认可的心理健康问题，但在发展中国家的研究相对较少。本研究考察了中国农村小学生 ADHD 症状的流行率、相关性和后果。
在中国 120 所农村小学的 6719 名学生中，收集了 ADHD 症状、人口统计学特征以及阅读和数学学业成绩的横断面数据。使用照顾者报告的 ADHD 评定量表-IV 评估 ADHD 症状。
我们的样本中 ADHD 症状的患病率为 7.5%。男生、低年级学生和认知能力较低的学生 ADHD 症状的患病率显著较高（ORs=2.56、2.06 和 1.84；p<0.05）。留守儿童的 ADHD 症状患病率显著低于与父母同住的儿童（OR=0.74；p<0.05）。调整后的回归分析显示，患有 ADHD 症状的学生在阅读方面的得分低 0.12 个标准差（p<0.05），在数学方面的得分低 0.19 个标准差（p<0.01）。
ADHD 评定量表-IV 是一种筛查量表，而不是诊断测试。对于我们的样本，照顾者的自我报告测量也可能低估了 ADHD 症状。
ADHD 是中国农村学生中常见的疾病，似乎对学业成绩产生了不良影响。认知能力较低的学生中 ADHD 的患病率较高也表明，中国农村的许多孩子面临着多种学习挑战。综合来看，这些发现表明，中国农村地区的教育工作者和政策制定者需要制定计划，以降低风险并支持有 ADHD 症状的学生。
