PROS - CHILD BEHAVIOR STUDY

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PROS Child Behavior Study

Identification of Attentional and Hyperactivity Problems in Primary Care: A Report From PROS & ASPN

PROS Pearls:

* As part of the Child Behavior Study, investigators examined 1) the frequency of identification of attentional and hyperactivity problems (AHPs) by clinicians and 2) whether identification rates varied by minority status, parental education or family functioning.

* Practitioners identified behavior problems in 18.7% (n = 3934) of children, with 9.2% of the entire sample identified as having AHPs.

* Among those with newly assessed AHPs, practitioners identified minority children and those from low-income or poorly functioning families as having AHPs at the same rate as other children.

* Males were almost 3 times as likely than females to be identified as having AHPs, even after controlling for symptoms.

* Older practitioners were over 2 times as likely to identify children as having AHPs.

* In assessing AHPs, practitioners used standardized tools such as behavioral questionnaires for only 36.9% of children, and DSM criteria for 38.3% of children.

* AHPs are highly prevalent in primary care practice. Practitioners do not appear predisposed to label children from disadvantaged backgrounds as having AHPs. Primary care assessment of AHPs lacks standardization.

* Practitioners should know that females are generally underrecognized given the same symptoms as boys and use of standardized assessment tools, while highly recommended, occurs infrequently.

The Child Behavior Study was a national study conducted in partnership between PROS and ASPN, a family practice research network. Funding was provided by the National Institute of Mental Health (MH50629) and the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCJ-177022) and the Staunton Farm Foundation. The study examined primary care management of psychosocial problems for children through data on parent-reported behaviors and clinician reported management. The study was conducted between October 1994 and June 1997 in the offices of 269 PROS practitioners and 132 family medicine practitioners from the Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network (ASPN), the Wisconsin Research Network (WReN), and the Minnesota Academy of Family Physicians Research Network (MAFPRN). Subjects included children aged 4 to 15 years, presenting for single, non-emergent visits in the presence of a parent or caregiver. Data from 22,059 children (9,626 for this manuscript) were analyzed in the study. This third manuscript was published in the March 1999 issue of Pediatrics.

The citation and link to the manuscript follows below:

Wasserman R, Kelleher K, Bocian A, Baker A, Childs G, Indacochea F, Stulp C, Gardner W. Identification of Attentional and Hyperactivity Problems in Primary Care: A Report from PROS & ASPN. Pediatrics 1999;103(3):e38.

Manuscript writing continues.

Core support for the PROS network is provided by a grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health Bureau

Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS)
American Academy of Pediatrics
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PO Box 927
Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927
800/433-9016, ext. 7623

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PROS Child Behavior Study

Identification of Attentional and Hyperactivity Problems in Primary Care: A Report From PROS & ASPN

Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS) American Academy of Pediatrics 141 Northwest Point Blvd PO Box 927 Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927 800/433-9016, ext. 7623

Pediatric Research in Office Settings (PROS)
American Academy of Pediatrics
141 Northwest Point Blvd
PO Box 927
Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927
800/433-9016, ext. 7623