New UC Davis study connects ADHD to the neighborhood children grow up in
DAVIS – A new study from UC Davis Mind Institute finds growing up poor puts some children at higher risk for attention deficit hyperactive disorder.
The new UC Davis research shows that the chance of kids getting ADHD could be connected to the neighborhood they live in.
"The fewer the resources, the poorer the neighborhood, the more ADHD symptoms later in life," Catrina Calub said.
ADHD leads to poor performance in school, lower self-esteem, depression, and potential substance abuse.
"To me, this really is a health equity issue," Calub said.
Calub is the lead researcher on a UC Davis Mind Institute study that shows children with autism who live in disadvantaged communities have a higher risk.
"If we can improve resources in these neighborhoods, we can improve academics, social, mental, and physical health outcomes for youth," Calub said.
The study spans more than two decades.
"There [were] 246 children involved in this study and this study has been going on for over 20 years," Calub said.
Previous data has shown that ADHD is strongly influenced by genetics.
But Calub says this is the first research connecting neighborhoods to the disorder.
"What we showed in this study was that particularly social and economic factors played more of a role than the health and environment and education. Financial resources are key here," Calub said.
She says scientists are not yet able to establish a connection in children who don't have autism but more research is needed.
"The next steps are looking at a larger diverse sample," Calub said.
Researchers say there are effective treatments for ADHD and that some youth can grow out of it while others have life-long impacts.
