Hispanic children are less likely to be diagnosed with attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder during primary care visits than white or black children are, according to a new study that looks at children's physician visits nationwide.
Primary care treatment for children's ADHD also varies regionally, according to the report in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. Children of all ethnic backgrounds who live in the South and West are more likely to be prescribed medications like Ritalin and Adderall during their primary care visits, compared with their peers in the Northeast.
Jack Stevens, Ph.D., a psychologist with Columbus Children's Hospital and an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at Ohio State University and colleagues say the low rate of ADHD diagnoses among Hispanic children may be influenced by a number of factors, including language barriers and different cultural attitudes about child behavior.
For instance, Hispanic parents may not think their children's ADHD symptoms are a problem to be discussed with a doctor, according to the researchers. Previous studies indicate that Mexican-American mothers who have little experience with American culture are less likely to describe their children as having ADHD symptoms than more acculturated Latina mothers are.
These mothers may also be more wary of treating their children's behavioral problems with drugs, according to new research by Emily Arcia, Ph.D., of Mt. Sinai Medical Center and colleagues, published in the same issue of the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.
Physician bias might also explain differences in ADHD diagnosis, Stevens says.
"Health care providers may more readily dismiss these [ADHD] complaints if they are mentioned by Hispanic-American parents than if they are mentioned by white-American parents," he suggests.