Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 6/2019

01-06-2019 | Original Paper

Family structure, birth order, and aggressive behaviors among school-aged boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Authors: Yuan-Chang Hsu, Chih-Tsai Chen, Hao-Jan Yang, Pesus Chou

Published in: Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology | Issue 6/2019

Login to get access

Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the associations between family structure, birth order, and aggressive behaviors among school-aged boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Methods

We conducted a matched case–control study. Data were retrieved from medical records at a psychiatry center in northern Taiwan. School-aged boys with ADHD who first visited the outpatient department at the psychiatric center between 2000 and 2011 were identified. The Child Behavior Checklist was used for aggressive behavior assessment. Boys with ADHD with T scores higher than 70 on the aggressive subscale were classified as cases and others with T scores lower than 70 were classified as controls at a 1:4 ratio. After controlling for other familial, personal, and parental factors, a multivariate conditional logistic regression was performed to evaluate the effects of family structure and birth order on aggressive behaviors of boys with ADHD.

Results

277 cases and 1108 controls were included in the final analysis. Compared with living in a traditional family with both parents, living in a non-traditional family in which one or both parents were absent increased the risk of aggressive behaviors by 1.47-fold, with the highest risk for those in single parent families. Being the firstborn increased risk by 1.45-fold and the risk was higher when the firstborn had siblings.

Conclusions

Living in non-traditional families in which one or both parents were absent, and being the firstborn increased risk of aggression in school-aged boys with ADHD. Identification of this high-risk population and development of adequate preventive strategies are warranted.
Literature
1.
go back to reference Cherkasova M, Sulla EM, Dalena KL, Ponde MP, Hechtman L (2013) Developmental course of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its predictors. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry J de l’Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent 22(1):47–54 Cherkasova M, Sulla EM, Dalena KL, Ponde MP, Hechtman L (2013) Developmental course of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and its predictors. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry J de l’Academie canadienne de psychiatrie de l’enfant et de l’adolescent 22(1):47–54
3.
go back to reference Quintero J, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Sebastian JS, Montanes F, Fernandez-Jaen A, Martinez-Raga J, Giral MG, Graell M, Mardomingo MJ, Soutullo C, Eiris J, Tellez M, Pamias M, Correas J, Sabate J, Garcia-Orti L, Alda JA (2018) Health care and societal costs of the management of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Spain: a descriptive analysis. BMC Psychiatry 18(1):40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1581-y CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Quintero J, Ramos-Quiroga JA, Sebastian JS, Montanes F, Fernandez-Jaen A, Martinez-Raga J, Giral MG, Graell M, Mardomingo MJ, Soutullo C, Eiris J, Tellez M, Pamias M, Correas J, Sabate J, Garcia-Orti L, Alda JA (2018) Health care and societal costs of the management of children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in Spain: a descriptive analysis. BMC Psychiatry 18(1):40. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​s12888-017-1581-y CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
9.
go back to reference Tremblay RE, Nagin DS, Seguin JR, Zoccolillo M, Zelazo PD, Boivin M, Perusse D, Japel C (2004) Physical aggression during early childhood: trajectories and predictors. Pediatrics 114(1):e43–e50CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Tremblay RE, Nagin DS, Seguin JR, Zoccolillo M, Zelazo PD, Boivin M, Perusse D, Japel C (2004) Physical aggression during early childhood: trajectories and predictors. Pediatrics 114(1):e43–e50CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
18.
go back to reference Mitchell C, Brooks-Gunn J, Garfinkel I, McLanahar S, Notterman D, Hobcraft J (2015) Family structure instability, genetic sensitivity, and child well-being. AJS Am J Sociol 120(4):1195–1225CrossRefPubMed Mitchell C, Brooks-Gunn J, Garfinkel I, McLanahar S, Notterman D, Hobcraft J (2015) Family structure instability, genetic sensitivity, and child well-being. AJS Am J Sociol 120(4):1195–1225CrossRefPubMed
23.
26.
go back to reference Heck KE, Parker JD (2002) Family structure, socioeconomic status, and access to health care for children. Health Serv Res 37(1):173–186PubMed Heck KE, Parker JD (2002) Family structure, socioeconomic status, and access to health care for children. Health Serv Res 37(1):173–186PubMed
31.
go back to reference Sauvola A, Makikyro T, Jokelainen J, Joukamaa M, Jarvelin MR, Isohanni M (2000) Single-parent family background and physical illness in adulthood: a follow-up study of the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort. Scand J Public Health 28(2):95–101PubMed Sauvola A, Makikyro T, Jokelainen J, Joukamaa M, Jarvelin MR, Isohanni M (2000) Single-parent family background and physical illness in adulthood: a follow-up study of the Northern Finland 1966 birth cohort. Scand J Public Health 28(2):95–101PubMed
32.
go back to reference Ghanizadeh A, Abotorabi-Zarchi M, Mohammadi MR, Firoozabadi A (2012) Birth order and sibling gender ratio of a clinical sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Iran J Psychiatry 7(3):109–113PubMedPubMedCentral Ghanizadeh A, Abotorabi-Zarchi M, Mohammadi MR, Firoozabadi A (2012) Birth order and sibling gender ratio of a clinical sample of children and adolescents diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Iran J Psychiatry 7(3):109–113PubMedPubMedCentral
37.
go back to reference Clark JJ, Sawyer MG, Nguyen AM, Baghurst PA (1993) Emotional and behavioural problems experienced by children living in single-parent families: a pilot study. J Paediatr Child Health 29(5):338–343CrossRefPubMed Clark JJ, Sawyer MG, Nguyen AM, Baghurst PA (1993) Emotional and behavioural problems experienced by children living in single-parent families: a pilot study. J Paediatr Child Health 29(5):338–343CrossRefPubMed
39.
go back to reference Chorpita BF, Barlow DH (1998) The development of anxiety: the role of control in the early environment. Psychol Bull 124(1):3–21CrossRefPubMed Chorpita BF, Barlow DH (1998) The development of anxiety: the role of control in the early environment. Psychol Bull 124(1):3–21CrossRefPubMed
43.
go back to reference Uchida M, Faraone SV, Martelon M, Kenworthy T, Woodworth KY, Spencer TJ, Wozniak JR, Biederman J (2014) Further evidence that severe scores in the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention subscales of child behavior checklist (severe dysregulation profile) can screen for bipolar disorder symptomatology: a conditional probability analysis. J Affect Disord 165:81–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.04.021 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral Uchida M, Faraone SV, Martelon M, Kenworthy T, Woodworth KY, Spencer TJ, Wozniak JR, Biederman J (2014) Further evidence that severe scores in the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention subscales of child behavior checklist (severe dysregulation profile) can screen for bipolar disorder symptomatology: a conditional probability analysis. J Affect Disord 165:81–86. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​j.​jad.​2014.​04.​021 CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral
44.
go back to reference Biederman J, Petty CR, Day H, Goldin RL, Spencer T, Faraone SV, Surman CB, Wozniak J (2012) Severity of the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention child behavior checklist profile discriminates between different levels of deficits in emotional regulation in youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Dev Behav Pediatr JDBP 33(3):236–243. https://doi.org/10.1097/DBP.0b013e3182475267 CrossRefPubMed Biederman J, Petty CR, Day H, Goldin RL, Spencer T, Faraone SV, Surman CB, Wozniak J (2012) Severity of the aggression/anxiety-depression/attention child behavior checklist profile discriminates between different levels of deficits in emotional regulation in youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. J Dev Behav Pediatr JDBP 33(3):236–243. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1097/​DBP.​0b013e3182475267​ CrossRefPubMed
Metadata
Title
Family structure, birth order, and aggressive behaviors among school-aged boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Authors
Yuan-Chang Hsu
Chih-Tsai Chen
Hao-Jan Yang
Pesus Chou
Publication date
01-06-2019
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology / Issue 6/2019
Print ISSN: 0933-7954
Electronic ISSN: 1433-9285
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-018-1624-9

Other articles of this Issue 6/2019

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 6/2019 Go to the issue