Prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and/or autism spectrum disorder and its relation to lifestyle in female college students.

Keizo Takahashi,Risa Kurato,Nobuyuki Miyatake,Nobuko Takahashi

doi:10.1007/s12199-016-0548-9

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its relation to lifestyle in female college students. A total of 375 female college students (19.2±1.3years) among 439 students were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Using a self-reported questionnaire, we measured the prevalence of ADHD using the ADHD Self-Report Scale-v1.1 (ASRS) and the prevalence of ASD using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ). In addition, lifestyle choices such as medications, physical activity, cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking and sleeping habits were also evaluated. The suspected prevalence of ADHD was 102 students (27.2%) and the suspected prevalence of ASD was 4 students (1.1%). Only one student (0.3%) was thought to have both ADHD and ASD. Subjects with suspected ADHD had higher AQ scores compared with those without suspected ADHD. There were no unhealthy lifestyle choices in subjects with suspected ADHD and/or ASD. The prevalence of suspected ADHD and/or ASD may be relatively high even among female college students in Japan.

Highlights

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by hyperactivity, inattention and impulsivity, has become a health problem in adults as well as children in Japan [1]
Objective The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its relation to lifestyle in female college students
Using a self-reported questionnaire, we measured the prevalence of ADHD using the ADHD Self-Report Scale-v1.1 (ASRS) and the prevalence of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ)

Summary

Results

It was determined that four subjects (1.1 %) were over the level of 33 points and defined as suspected with ASD from the AQ score (Fig. 2). One subject (0.3 %) of these 4 subjects had both suspected ADHD and ASD (Fig. 3). The score of AQ in subjects with suspected ADHD (21.0 ± 5.2) was significantly higher than in subjects without suspected ADHD (19.3 ± 5.6) (Fig. 4). We evaluated the link between lifestyle and suspected ADHD in female college students (Table 2), and the analysis did not show significant differences in the lifestyles between both groups

Conclusion

Introduction

Subjects and methods

Evaluation of suspected ADHD and ASD

Discussion