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Published Online: 1 November 2011

Childhood Trajectories of Inattention and Hyperactivity and Prediction of Educational Attainment in Early Adulthood: A 16-Year Longitudinal Population-Based Study

Jean-Baptiste Pingault, Ph.D., Richard E. Tremblay, Ph.D., Frank Vitaro, Ph.D., René Carbonneau, Ph.D., Christophe Genolini, Ph.D., Bruno Falissard, M.D., Ph.D., and Sylvana M. Côté, Ph.D.Authors Info & Affiliations
Publication: American Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 168, Number 11
https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2011.10121732
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Abstract

This longitudinal study of 2,000 children revealed that inattention, but not hyperactivity, is related to whether children graduate from high school.

Abstract

Objective:

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.

Method:

The authors randomly selected 2,000 participants from a representative sample of Canadian children and estimated developmental trajectories of inattention and hyperactivity between the ages of 6 and 12 years using yearly assessments. High school graduation status, at age 22–23 years, was obtained from official records.

Results:

Four trajectories of inattention and four trajectories of hyperactivity were observed between the ages of 6 and 12 years. After controlling for hyperactivity and other confounding variables, a high inattention trajectory (compared with low inattention) strongly predicted not having a high school diploma at 22–23 years of age (odds ratio=7.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]=5.06–11.58). To a lesser extent, a declining or rising trajectory of inattention also made a significant contribution (odds ratios of 2.67 [95% CI=1.90–3.75] and 3.87 [95% CI=2.75–5.45], respectively). Hyperactivity was not a significant predictor once inattention was taken into account.

Conclusions:

Inattention rather than hyperactivity during elementary school significantly predicts long-term educational attainment. Children with attention problems, regardless of hyperactivity, need preventive intervention early in their development.

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Information & Authors

Information

Published In

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American Journal of Psychiatry
Volume 168 • Number 11 • November 2011
Pages: 1164 - 1170
PubMed: 21799065

History

Received: 7 December 2010
Revision received: 21 March 2011
Accepted: 29 April 2011
Published online: 1 November 2011
Published in print: November 2011

Authors

Details

Jean-Baptiste Pingault, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Richard E. Tremblay, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Frank Vitaro, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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René Carbonneau, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Christophe Genolini, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Bruno Falissard, M.D., Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Sylvana M. Côté, Ph.D.
From the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, University of Montreal and Sainte-Justine Hospital, Montreal; the International Laboratory for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development, University of Montreal, Montreal; the National Health and Medical Research Institute, Paris; MODAL'X, University Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, Paris; the University Paris-Sud and University Descartes, Paris; and the School of Public Health and Population Sciences, University College Dublin, Dublin.
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Notes

Address correspondence to Dr. Côté ([email protected]).

Funding Information

The authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.Supported by grants from the Fonds Québecois de la Recherche sur la Société et la Culture; the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada; the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (National Health Research and Development Program); the U.S. National Science Foundation (SES-9911370); the National Institute of Mental Health (RO1 MH-65611-01A2); and the U.S. National Consortium on Violence Research (SBR-9513040). Also supported by a Government of Canada Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and a postdoctoral fellowship from the Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment (Dr. Pingault) via a grant (16031) from the Fonds de la Recherche et de la Santé du Québec (Dr. Côté).

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