Teachers' screening for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder: comparing multinational samples on teacher ratings of ADHD

J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2003 Aug;31(4):445-55. doi: 10.1023/a:1023847719796.

Abstract

This study evaluates a measurement model for Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The DSM-IV divides 18 symptoms into two groups, inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive. Elementary school teachers rated 21,161 children in 4 locations: Spain, Germany, urban US, and suburban US. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the 2-factor model (inattention, hyperactivity/impulsivity) shows the best fit. A third factor, impulsivity, was too slight to stand-alone. Children with academic performance problems were distinguished by inattention, but children with behavior problems typically had elevations in inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. Between-site differences were statistically significant, but so small that we conclude that same measurement model fits all 4 samples in 2 continents.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Validation Study

MeSH terms

  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / diagnosis*
  • Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / epidemiology*
  • Catchment Area, Health
  • Child
  • Cross-Cultural Comparison
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Educational Status
  • Faculty*
  • Germany / epidemiology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Screening / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Spain / epidemiology
  • Surveys and Questionnaires*
  • Tennessee / epidemiology