In:
BMJ Open, BMJ, Vol. 10, No. 5 ( 2020-05), p. e037297-
Abstract:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic mental disorder that is associated with poor productivity, with a significant impact on the quality of life. Objectives To determine factors associated with symptoms of ADHD among medical students in Cameroon. Design A web-based cross-sectional study. Setting Participants were recruited through a social media platform, WhatsApp, from 24 June to 2 September 2018. Participants Medical students aged 18 years and older from seven medical schools in Cameroon. All non-medical students and all medical residents were excluded. Results Data from a total of 491 eligible participants were analysed. The median age was 25 (IQR 21–25) years and 54% were of the participants were female. The prevalence of self-reported symptoms of ADHD was 24.4% (95% CI 20.6% to 28.3%). Histories of chronic disease (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.96; 95% CI 1.49 to 5.86, p=0.002), family history of ADHD (AOR 3.38; 95% CI 1.04 to 10.44, p=0.035), severe depression (AOR=3.49; 95% CI 1.82 to 6.77, p 〈 0.001) and anxiety disorder (AOR 2.06; 95% CI 1.25 to 3.36, p=0.004) were found to be independently associated with the symptoms of ADHD. Conclusion ADHD may be a highly prevalent mental disorder among medical students, and is associated with severe depression, anxiety disorders and chronic diseases. There is a need to conduct a large-scale prospective cohort study with interviews to estimate the true prevalence and incidence of ADHD among medical students in Cameroon, and to determinant the risk factors associated with the disorder.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
2044-6055
,
2044-6055
DOI:
10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037297
Language:
English
Publisher:
BMJ
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2599832-8
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