Risk factors for the difficulties in general activities across the day in Chinese children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

OBJECTIVES: To explore the factors significantly associated with the difficulties of general activities during specific time periods across the day in Chinese children and adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). METHODS: A cross-sectional study assessing the validity and reliability of Questionnaire-Children with Difficulties (QCD) for difficulties of general activities during specific time periods of the day in 200 Chinese children and adolescents with ADHD was the data source for this post-hoc analysis. Multivariate linear regression analyses were conducted to identify the factors significantly associated with the total and subscale scores of QCD respectively. RESULTS: ADHD subtype of inattention (vs combination subtype, coefficient 3.69, P=0.006), parent–child interaction activity (vs no parent–child activity, coefficient 4.30, P=0.002), and any psychiatric comorbidities (vs no mental comorbidities, coefficient −3.68, P=0.010) were independently and significantly associated with the total score of QCD (higher score indicating less difficulties, and vice-versa). These three factors and the other two factors, including mother’s education and parenting style, were independently and significantly associated with at least one subscale score of QCD for the five time domains across the day. CONCLUSION: The overall difficulties of the general activities across the day in ADHD patients could be independently affected by ADHD subtype, psychiatric comorbidities, and parent–children interaction activity. However, the factors significantly associated with the difficulties of the general activities during specific time periods of the day in ADHD patients were slightly different.