1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«Literature clearly documents the association between mental health problems, particularly attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and educational attainment. However, inattention and hyperactivity are generally not considered independently from each other in prospective studies. The aim of the present study was to differentiate the unique, additive, or interactive contributions of inattention and hyperactivity symptoms to educational attainment.» (p. 1)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
«In 1986–1987, a representative sample (N=6,397) of kindergarten children in the French-speaking schools of the province of Québec was selected. Both teachers and mothers completed the Social Behavior Questionnaire for 3,715 of these children. Of these 3, 715 children, 2,000 (1,001 boys) were randomly selected for participation in the present study and followed longitudinally.» (p. 2)

Instruments :
Questionnaire

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

«Numerous studies have shown that attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms and diagnoses are associated with educational attainment. However, despite an early synthesis pointing strongly to inattention as potentially the best predictor of later school failure, most studies have not differentiated inattention and hyperactivity. Therefore, it remains unclear whether these dimensions operate additively or interactively or whether one dimension is more important than the other.» (p. 2) À la lumière de leurs recherches, les auteurs constatent que «[h]yperactivity was strongly correlated with physical aggression and opposition. Parental separation between the ages of 6 and 12 years increased the risk of being in a higher inattention trajectory, particularly the rising trajectory, suggesting the importance of time-varying covariates of these trajectories.» (p. 4) Ainsi, les auteurs mentionnent que «results suggest that time-varying covariates, such as changes in the family, might alter the direction of the inattention trajectory. This may also be the case for changes in school organizational settings.» (p. 5)