Prenatal and Neighborhood Correlates of Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

Abstract

This study investigates the link between prenatal exposure to alcohol and drugs, parental perceptions of neighborhood safety and support, and the diagnosis of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) among a nationally representative sample of youth. A subset of variables from a larger study, the 2001–2004 National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (NCS-A), as well as its supplemental parental surveys, was analyzed in this study. This study used a specific selection of 5,924 adolescents and their parents from the NCS-A. Results suggest a correlation between prenatal caffeine use and a subsequent ODD diagnosis in female adolescents. Overall correlations between neighborhood drug use/sales and minority status and a subsequent diagnosis of ODD in adolescents were also found. Social, environmental, and professional implications of these findings are also discussed.