Quantcast
ZME Science
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    Menu
    Natural Sciences
    Health
    History & Humanities
    Space & Astronomy
    Technology
    Culture
    Resources
    Natural Sciences

    Physics

    • Matter and Energy
    • Quantum Mechanics
    • Thermodynamics

    Chemistry

    • Periodic Table
    • Applied Chemistry
    • Materials
    • Physical Chemistry

    Biology

    • Anatomy
    • Biochemistry
    • Ecology
    • Genetics
    • Microbiology
    • Plants and Fungi

    Geology and Paleontology

    • Planet Earth
    • Earth Dynamics
    • Rocks and Minerals
    • Volcanoes
    • Dinosaurs
    • Fossils

    Animals

    • Mammals
    • Birds
    • Fish
    • Reptiles
    • Amphibians
    • Invertebrates
    • Pets
    • Conservation
    • Animals Facts

    Climate and Weather

    • Climate Change
    • Weather and Atmosphere

    Geography

    Mathematics

    Health
    • Drugs
    • Diseases and Conditions
    • Human Body
    • Mind and Brain
    • Food and Nutrition
    • Wellness
    History & Humanities
    • Anthropology
    • Archaeology
    • Economics
    • History
    • People
    • Sociology
    Space & Astronomy
    • The Solar System
    • The Sun
    • The Moon
    • Planets
    • Asteroids, Meteors and Comets
    • Astronomy
    • Astrophysics
    • Cosmology
    • Exoplanets and Alien Life
    • Spaceflight and Exploration
    Technology
    • Computer Science & IT
    • Engineering
    • Inventions
    • Sustainability
    • Renewable Energy
    • Green Living
    Culture
    • Culture and Society
    • Bizarre Stories
    • Lifestyle
    • Art and Music
    • Gaming
    • Books
    • Movies and Shows
    Resources
    • How To
    • Science Careers
    • Metascience
    • Fringe Science
    • Science Experiments
    • School and Study
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Science

Why girls and boys have such different ADHD rates

Out of every 4 children who suffer from ADHD, 3 are boys. But in adulthood, the ratio gets very close to 1:1.

Mihai Andrei by Mihai Andrei
May 31, 2020
in Science

Out of every 4 children who suffer from ADHD, 3 are boys. But in adulthood, the ratio gets very close to 1:1.

Image in public domain.

Part of the explanation emerged in 2017 when a study found that girls tend to develop ADHD at a later age than boys, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. A new study analyzed data from 1,571 children living in Zurich, Switzerland. The kids were involved in a program where teachers assessed two aspects associated with ADHD: inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity.

Every year from the age of 7 to the age of 15, these behavioral elements were measured with a standard scale. They were assessed separately as previous studies have shown that they can develop at different rates and with different intensities.

Firstly, when it comes to inattention, most children had low levels of symptoms. However, almost 40% of boys seemed to have persistently high inattention levels during this period — a level that stayed consistent with age. Among girls, however, there was much more variation. Around a third of them had moderate symptoms, but these symptoms declined consistently with age.

When it came to hyperactivity/impulsivity, there were also strong differences between boys and girls. Again, the majority of all children had fairly low levels of symptoms (81% for girls and 61% for girls). Symptoms tended to decrease with age, but there were two groups who stood out: one group (13% of boys, 10% of girls) had somewhat elevated symptoms in childhood. Their symptoms first decreased, but as they entered their teens, the symptoms re-emerged quickly — researchers speculate that the symptoms could be “adolescence-triggered”. There was also a group of children (24% of boys, 9% of girls) who had high levels of symptoms which did not seem to decrease over the years.

This confirms that boys tend to develop ADHD-type symptoms earlier than girls. It also shows that for both males and females, early adolescence represented a period of vulnerability characterized by relatively sudden symptom increases.

However, it also suggests that many girls may be slipping diagnosis altogether, since most of the diagnosis emphasis is placed on younger children — as most diagnostic criteria require symptoms to begin before the age of 12.

“Females affected by hyperactivity/impulsivity may be more likely to be excluded from diagnosis due to current age of onset criteria. More attention should be paid to early adolescence as a period of risk for hyperactivity/impulsivity symptom onset or worsening,” researchers write.

The study “Sex differences in ADHD trajectories across childhood and adolescence” has been published in Developmental Science.

Was this helpful?


Thanks for your feedback!

Related posts:
  1. Teenage boys who show empathy attract 1.8 more girlfriends than boys who don’t
  2. The labour gender gap might start at home: girls spend 40% more time on chores more than boys, worldwide
  3. Scientists find no difference in math ability in the brains of boys and girls
  4. Adolescent girls and boys may experience depression differently
  5. Boys who play video games seem to have lower depression risk — but not girls

ADVERTISEMENT
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
  • Reviews
  • More
  • About Us

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Future
  • Space
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Health
    • History and Humanities
    • Space & Astronomy
    • Culture
    • Technology
    • Resources
  • Reviews
  • More
    • Agriculture
    • Anthropology
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Electronics
    • Geology
    • History
    • Mathematics
    • Nanotechnology
    • Economics
    • Paleontology
    • Physics
    • Psychology
    • Robotics
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2021 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

Don’t you want to get smarter every day?

YES, sign me up!

Over 35,000 subscribers can’t be wrong. Don’t worry, we never spam. By signing up you agree to our privacy policy.

✕
ZME Science News

FREE
VIEW