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Racial/ethnic disparities in ADHD diagnosis by kindergarten entry
Author(s) -
Morgan Paul L.,
Hillemeier Marianne M.,
Farkas George,
Maczuga Steve
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.12204
Subject(s) - ethnic group , psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , sociology , anthropology
Background Whether and to what extent racial/ethnic disparities in attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder ( ADHD ) diagnosis occur by kindergarten entry is currently unknown. We investigated risk factors associated with an ADHD diagnosis by kindergarten entry generally, and specifically whether racial/ethnic disparities in ADHD diagnosis occur by this very early time period. Methods Secondary analysis of data from children enrolled in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study‐Birth Cohort ( ECLS ‐B), a large, nationally representative cohort of US children born in 2001. Data include information from birth certificates, parent and teacher questionnaires, and in‐person developmental assessments conducted with children at intervals from 9 months through kindergarten entry. The analytic sample included children enrolled in the ECLS ‐B at the 60‐month assessment ( N = 6,550). Results Black children in the United States were 70% (1 – OR of .30) less likely to receive an ADHD diagnosis than otherwise similar White children. Hispanic children initially appeared to be underdiagnosed for ADHD . However, their disparity with Whites became statistically nonsignificant after controlling for whether a language other than English was primarily spoken in the home. Analyses of kindergarten teacher‐reported classroom behavior indicated that neither Black nor Hispanic children displayed less frequent ADHD ‐related behaviors than Whites. Conclusions Although they are not less likely to display ADHD ‐related behaviors, children who are Black or being raised in households where non‐English is primarily spoken are less likely than otherwise similar White children to be diagnosed with ADHD in the US.