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QuickStats: Percentage* of Children Aged 5–17 Years with Diagnosed Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), by Poverty Status§ and Sex — National Health Interview Survey, 2011–2014

The figure is a bar chart showing that during 2011-2014 approximately 10% of all children aged 5-17 years were reported by parents to have been diagnosed with ADHD. The percentage of children who had ever been diagnosed with ADHD was significantly higher among boys (14%) than among girls (6%) overall and within each poverty status category. Among both boys and girls, poor children (i.e., those living in families with incomes <100% of the poverty level) were more likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD than children living in families with incomes ≥400% of the poverty level.

* With 95% confidence intervals indicated with error bars.

Based on responses to the question, "Has a doctor or health professional ever told you that [child] had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD)?"

§ Poverty status is based on family income and family size using the annually updated U.S. Census Bureau poverty thresholds. Family income was imputed when missing.

Estimates are based on household interviews of a sample of the noninstitutionalized U.S. civilian population and are derived from the National Health Interview Survey's sample child component.

During 2011–2014 approximately 10% of all children aged 5–17 years were reported by parents to have been diagnosed with ADHD. The percentage of children who had ever been diagnosed with ADHD was significantly higher among boys (14%) than among girls (6%) overall and within each poverty status category. Among both boys and girls, poor children (i.e., those living in families with incomes <100% of the poverty level) were more likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD than children living in families with incomes ≥400% of the poverty level.

Source: National Health Interview Survey. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm.

Reported by: Patricia Pastor, PhD, ppastor@cdc.gov, 301-458-4422; Cynthia Reuben, MA; Catherine Duran.

Alternate Text: The figure above is a bar chart showing that during 2011-2014 approximately 10% of all children aged 5-17 years were reported by parents to have been diagnosed with ADHD. The percentage of children who had ever been diagnosed with ADHD was significantly higher among boys (14%) than among girls (6%) overall and within each poverty status category. Among both boys and girls, poor children (i.e., those living in families with incomes <100% of the poverty level) were more likely to have been diagnosed with ADHD than children living in families with incomes ≥400% of the poverty level.



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