The Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Mentor 1
Krista Lisdahl
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5-10% of children and adolescents; It is characterized by signifigant difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children from backgrounds of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than higher SES peers. They also tend to have poorer academic performance, which has been attributed to less access to high-quality education and resources. However, limited research has examined this relationship in a large national sample. The purpose of this research is to examine the association between socioeconomic status and academic success in children with ADHD symptoms. The current sample (N=7,335, Mage = 12.0 yrs. old; 47.6% female) was drawn from the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudySM. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess ADHD symptomatology and a demographic questionnaire was used to gather household income, which served as a proxy for SES. Academic performance was measured by using participants' grades, as reported by parents. A generalized linear model with predictor variables (income and ADHD symptomatology) and covariates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education) was run to predict academic performance. The study found a significant interaction between ADHD symptoms and income (F (2,7144) = 3.35, p=.035), indicating that the effect of ADHD symptoms on academic performance differed across income levels. Specifically, there was a negative relationship between ADHD symptoms and grades, which was more robust for low-income families. These findings suggest that addressing socioeconomic disparities in education and providing resources to families with lower incomes may help mitigate the negative impact of ADHD symptoms on academic performance in children. Developing and implementing interventions that support children with ADHD symptoms from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in their academic pursuits is crucial to reducing the achievement gap and promoting equity in education.
The Association Between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Performance in Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting 5-10% of children and adolescents; It is characterized by signifigant difficulties with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Children from backgrounds of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD than higher SES peers. They also tend to have poorer academic performance, which has been attributed to less access to high-quality education and resources. However, limited research has examined this relationship in a large national sample. The purpose of this research is to examine the association between socioeconomic status and academic success in children with ADHD symptoms. The current sample (N=7,335, Mage = 12.0 yrs. old; 47.6% female) was drawn from the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development StudySM. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to assess ADHD symptomatology and a demographic questionnaire was used to gather household income, which served as a proxy for SES. Academic performance was measured by using participants' grades, as reported by parents. A generalized linear model with predictor variables (income and ADHD symptomatology) and covariates (age, sex, race/ethnicity, parental education) was run to predict academic performance. The study found a significant interaction between ADHD symptoms and income (F (2,7144) = 3.35, p=.035), indicating that the effect of ADHD symptoms on academic performance differed across income levels. Specifically, there was a negative relationship between ADHD symptoms and grades, which was more robust for low-income families. These findings suggest that addressing socioeconomic disparities in education and providing resources to families with lower incomes may help mitigate the negative impact of ADHD symptoms on academic performance in children. Developing and implementing interventions that support children with ADHD symptoms from lower socioeconomic backgrounds in their academic pursuits is crucial to reducing the achievement gap and promoting equity in education.
