HYPERKINETIC AND CONDUCT PROBLEM CHILDREN IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL POPULATION: SOME EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS

Abstract

SUMMARY An epidemiological survey designed to investigate the possible causal influence of biological and psychological factors on hyperactivity and conduct disturbance among 226 primary school boys is provided. The background variables investigated were: adverse perinatal events, neurodevelopmental abnormalities, minor physical anomalies and a combination of psychosocial disadvantage factors. Hyperactivity and conduct disturbance were measured by parent and teacher questionnaires, the disturbed groups being taken as the top 10 per cent. Teachers and parents largely identified separate children as disturbed. The teacher questionnaires failed to distinguish between the two conditions but disturbance was significantly related to high social disadvantage. The parent questionnaire distinguished the two groups better and disturbance of either kind was markedly associated with maternal mental distress, and this far outweighed the contribution of any other background variable.