Health
ADHD affects 1 in 9 kids in US, new report reveals: ‘Shame and stigma’
Diagnoses of ADHD continue to rise among U.S. youth, affecting one in every nine U.S. kids.
Approximately 11.4% of U.S. children (7.1 million) have received an ADHD diagnosis at some point, and 10.5% (6.5 million) currently have the disorder, according to a study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Researchers analyzed data from the 2022 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH), which measured the prevalence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnoses among kids between 3 and 17 years of age.
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The study was published in the Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology on May 22.
“Pediatric ADHD remains an ongoing and expanding public health concern, as approximately one million more children had ever received an ADHD diagnosis in 2022 than in 2016,” the researchers wrote.
Diagnoses of ADHD continue to rise among U.S. youth, affecting one in every nine U.S. kids, a new report revealed. (iStock)
Among the children who currently have the disorder, more than 58% have moderate or severe ADHD, and nearly 78% have at least one other disorder, the study found.
Around half of the children are taking some form of medication for their ADHD, and nearly 45% have received behavioral treatment in the past year.
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Just over 30% had not received any treatment for ADHD, the study also found.
“The prevalence of diagnosed ADHD varies by sociodemographic factors,” the researchers wrote.
“It is more common in boys, children living in lower-income households, children with public health insurance and children living in rural areas.”
Why the rise in ADHD?
Dr. Tasha M. Brown, a New York child psychologist and owner and founder of TMB Psych Services, said the findings did not surprise her.
“There is so much more conversation around mental health and what symptoms of ADHD look like,” Brown, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
Among the children who currently have the disorder, more than 58% have moderate or severe ADHD, and nearly 78% have at least one other disorder, the new study found. (iStock)
“As a result, I think parents and caregivers are more aware of what to look for, and they are reaching out to providers for answers and a diagnosis sooner rather than later.”
There are also many more factors affecting children’s mental health, Brown said — “especially dealing with the impact the pandemic has had on schooling, activities and friendships … As a result, we are seeing more children presenting with hyperactivity and attention and impulsivity.”
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Lisa Sheinhouse, director of community programs at Ohel Children’s Home and Family Services in New York, agreed that there is more awareness and education about neurodivergent disorders like ADHD and autism.
“Our society has learned to let go of the shame and stigma around these diagnoses, and that’s empowered parents to become more informed and ask for help,” Sheinhouse, who was also not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
What can parents and families do?
For parents who have children with ADHD, it is important to think about the ways in which their child’s ADHD symptoms are impacting their overall functioning, Brown said.
“For many children, symptoms of impulsivity, inattention and/or hyperactivity significantly impact their functioning in the school setting,” she noted.
For parents who have children with ADHD, it is important to think about the ways in which their child’s ADHD symptoms are impacting their overall functioning, an expert said. (iStock)
“Therefore, I advise parents to check in with teachers to make sure their child is receiving the appropriate accommodations in the classroom setting.”
Parents should also focus on creating and maintaining structure in the home and supporting ongoing routines for a child with ADHD, Sheinhouse added.
“Pediatric ADHD remains an ongoing and expanding public health concern.”
“This is important because a child with ADHD can be triggered by plans suddenly changing, especially without explanation,” she told Fox News Digital.
“You can teach your child executive functional skills like time management and provide tools (like apps) to help them remember things, stay on time and feel independent.”
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Medication isn’t always necessary and shouldn’t be the first solution, according to Sheinhouse.
“However, never say never, because sometimes it’s something to consider to give your child better function. Medication is another tool in the toolbox and should be a personal decision based on the child.”
Medication isn’t always necessary and shouldn’t be the first solution, according to one expert, but is “something to consider to give your child better function.” (iStock)
While medication management can be a “game changer” for some kids with ADHD, Brown noted, it can be a “hard decision” for parents.
“We do know that the research is clear that medication management in combination with mental health treatment is the most effective,” she said.
“I advise parents to speak with a psychiatrist who specializes in working with children and adolescents about their medication management options.”
Overall, Brown said, early intervention is key to helping kids thrive.
“If parents think that their child is struggling with attentional difficulties, it is crucial that they reach out for support,” she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors requesting further comment.
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A new report by the American Heart Association (AHA) included some troubling predictions for the future of women’s health.
The forecast, published in the journal Circulation on Wednesday, projected increases in various comorbidities in American females by 2050.
More than 59% of women were predicted to have high blood pressure, up from less than 49% currently.
The review also projected that more than 25% of women will have diabetes, compared to about 15% today, and more than 61% will have obesity, compared to 44% currently.
As a result of these risk factors, the prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7%.
The prevalence of cardiovascular disease and stroke in women is expected to rise to 14.4% from 10.7% by 2050. (iStock)
Not all trends were negative, as unhealthy cholesterol prevalence is expected to drop to about 22% from more than 42% today, the report stated.
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Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods in Minnesota, commented on these “jarring findings.”
“The fact that on our current trajectory, cardiometabolic disease is projected to explode in women within one generation should be a huge wake-up call,” she told Fox News Digital.
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“Hypertension, diabetes, obesity — these are all major risk factors for heart disease, and we are already seeing what those risks are driving. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, eclipsing all other causes of death, including breast cancer.”
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. and around the world. (iStock)
Klodas warned that heart disease starts early, progresses “stealthily,” and can present “out of the blue in devastating ways.”
The AHA published another study on Thursday revealing one million hospitalizations, showing that heart attack deaths are climbing among adults below the age of 55.
The more alarming finding, according to Klodas, is that young women were found more likely to die after their first heart attack than men of the same age.
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“This is all especially tragic since heart disease is almost entirely preventable,” she said. “The earlier you start, the better.”
Children can show early evidence of plaque deposition in their arteries, which can be reversed through lifestyle changes if “undertaken early enough and aggressively enough,” according to the expert.
Moving more is one part of protecting a healthy heart, according to experts. (iStock)
Klodas suggested that rising heart conditions are associated with traditional risk factors, like smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity and a sedentary lifestyle.
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Doctors are also seeing higher rates of preeclampsia, or high blood pressure during pregnancy, as well as gestational diabetes. Klodas noted that these are sex-specific risk factors that don’t typically contribute to complications until after menopause.
The best way to protect a healthy heart is to “do the basics,” Klodas recommended, including the following lifestyle habits.
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Klodas especially emphasized making improvements to diet, as the food people eat affects “every single risk factor that the AHA’s report highlights.”
“High blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, excess weight – these are all conditions that are driven in part or in whole by food,” she said. “We eat multiple times every single day, which means what we eat has profound cumulative effects over time.”
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health,” a doctor said. (iStock)
“Even a small improvement in dietary intake, when maintained, can have a massive positive impact on health.”
The doctor also recommends changing out a few snacks per day for healthier choices, which has been proven to “yield medication-level cholesterol reductions” in a month.
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“Keep up that small change and, over the course of a year, you could also lose 20 pounds and reduce your sodium intake enough to avoid blood pressure-lowering medications,” Klodas added.
“Women should not view the AHA report as inevitable. We have power over our health destinies. We just need to use it.”
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Nearsightedness (myopia) is skyrocketing globally, with nearly half of the world’s population expected to be myopic by 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
Heavy use of smartphones and other devices is associated with an 80% higher risk of myopia when combined with excessive computer use, but a new study suggests that dim indoor lighting could also be a factor.
For years, scientists have been puzzled by the different ways myopia is triggered. In lab settings, it can be induced by blurring vision or using different lenses. Conversely, it can be slowed by something as simple as spending time outdoors, research suggests.
Nearsightedness occurs when the eyeball grows too long from front to back, according to the American Optometric Association (AOA). This physical elongation causes light to focus in front of the retina rather than directly on it, making distant objects appear blurry.
The study suggests that myopia isn’t caused by the digital devices themselves, but by the low-light environments where they are typically used. (iStock)
Researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) College of Optometry identified a potential specific trigger for this growth. When someone looks at a phone or a book up close, the pupil naturally constricts.
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“In bright outdoor light, the pupil constricts to protect the eye while still allowing ample light to reach the retina,” Urusha Maharjan, a SUNY Optometry doctoral student who conducted the study, said in a press release.
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“When people focus on close objects indoors, such as phones, tablets or books, the pupil can also constrict — not because of brightness, but to sharpen the image,” she went on. “In dim lighting, this combination may significantly reduce retinal illumination.”
High-intensity natural light prevents myopia because it provides enough retinal stimulation to override the “stop growing” signal, even when pupils are constricted. (iStock)
The hypothesis suggests that when the retina is deprived of light during extended close-up work, it sends a signal for the eye to grow.
In a dim environment, the narrowed pupil allows so little light through that the retinal activity isn’t strong enough to signal the eye to stop growing, the researchers found.
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In contrast, being outdoors provides light levels much brighter than indoors. This ensures that even when the pupil narrows to focus on a nearby object, the retina still receives a strong signal, maintaining healthy eye development.
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The team noted some limitations of the study, including the small subject group and the inability to directly measure internal lens changes, as the bright backgrounds used to mimic the outdoors made pupils too small for standard equipment.
Researchers believe that increasing indoor brightness during close-up work could be a simple, testable way to slow the global nearsightedness epidemic. (iStock)
“This is not a final answer,” Jose-Manuel Alonso, MD, PhD, SUNY distinguished professor and senior author of the study, said in the release.
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“But the study offers a testable hypothesis that reframes how visual habits, lighting and eye focusing interact.”
The study was published in the journal Cell Reports.
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