Burden of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in Indian Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Objective To determine the pooled prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in Indian children. Methods The searching of published literature was conducted in different databases (PubMed, Ovid SP, and EMBASE). The authors also tried to acquire information from the unpublished literature about the prevalence of ADHD. A screening was done to include eligible original studies, community or school-based, cross-sectional or cohort, reporting the prevalence of ADHD in children aged ≤ 18 y in India. Retrieved data were analyzed using STATA MP12 (Texas College station). Results Of 729 studies retrieved by searching different databases, 183 studies were removed as duplicates, and 546 titles and abstracts were screened. After screening, 19 studies were included for quantitative analysis. Subgroup analysis was conducted with respect to their setting (school-based/community-based). Fifteen studies performed in a school-based setting showed 75.1 (95% CI 56.0–94.1) pooled prevalence of ADHD per 1000 children of 4–19 y of age. In community-based settings, the pooled prevalence per 1000 children surveyed was 18.6 (95% CI 8.8–28.4). The overall pooled prevalence of ADHD was observed as 63.2 (95% CI 49.2–77.1) in 1000 children surveyed. Significant heterogeneity was observed in the systemic review. Conclusions ADHD accounts for a significant health burden, and understanding its burden is crucial for effective health policy-making for educational intervention and rehabilitation.