Prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder among Older Adults in Northwestern Iran

Objective — This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among older adults in Tabriz, northwestern Iran. Material and Methods — This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018 on 1,043 older adults in Tabriz, Iran, using two-stage cluster sampling. Clinical interviews were conducted with all selected study participants in accordance with the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the Wender Utah Rating Scale (WURS). The socioeconomic status of the participants was assessed using the ultra-short version of the socioeconomic status scale (SES). Statistical analysis was performed via the chi-squared test using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results — A total of 41 (3.93%) participants were diagnosed with ADHD, of whom 3.74% were women and 4.13% were men. With respect to socioeconomic status, the prevalence of ADHD was 5.29% among participants with low socioeconomic status, 3.65% among those with medium socioeconomic status, and 5.08% among those with partially high socioeconomic status. No association was found between the prevalence of ADHD and age, gender, or socioeconomic status in older adults. Conclusion — The prevalence of adult ADHD among older adults in Tabriz was 3.9%. The prevalence of ADHD in older adults was not associated with their gender, age, or socioeconomic status. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to improve the accuracy of the study.