Risk Factors Affecting Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Among Early Childhood in the Agricultural Area in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Background: ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is a behavioral disorder the most common among children. This disorder is often found in early childhood and school age. The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for ADHD in early childhood in agricultural areas. Method: This study used a cross-sectional design. The subjects of this study were 1,113, kindergarten students aged 5-7 years in the agricultural area of Brebes Regency, Central Java, Indonesia. The independent variables in this study were age, sex, history of preterm birth, education level and parental work, and the dependent variable is the incidence of ADHD. The multivariate logistic regression test is used to determine variables which are risk factors. Results: The study showed that from 1.113 total subjects. there were 480 (43.1%) subjects in ADHD diagnosis. History of preterm birth (OR = 1.577; 95% CI = 1.128-2.205), low father’s education level (OR = 1.422; 95% CI = 1.106-1.827), low mother’s education level (OR = 1.312; 95% CI = 1.008-1.708 ), parental involvement in agriculture (OR = 1.580; 95% CI = 1.231-2.028) and gender (OR = 3.126; 95% CI = 2.442- 4.001) proved to be an independent risk factor for ADHD. Conclusion: The incidence of ADHD in early childhood in agricultural areas reached 43.1%. History of preterm birth, the low father education level, the parental involvement in agriculture and the male gender are independent risk factors for early childhood ADHD incidence in agricultural areas. Keywords: ADHD, Risk Factors, Early Childhood, Agriculture Are