Sohye Cho, Jung Min Cho
Compared with reference values, children and adolescents with ADHD showed deviations in anthropometric distributions and age-related differences in nutrient intake. These findings support the consideration of both growth distribution and nutrient balance in nutritional assessments of this population.
UNLABELLED: Nutritional and anthropometric concerns have been reported in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but population-level evidence across childhood and adolescence remains limited. To characterize anthropometric status, age-specific nutrient intake, and nutrient intake relative to dietary reference values in children and adolescents with ADHD. A 15-year complex-sample analysis was conducted using nationally representative Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey data (2007-2021). Anthropometric analyses included 172 participants aged 6-18 years with reported physician-diagnosed ADHD, and dietary analyses included 157 complete cases. Dietary intake was assessed by 24-h recall, and individual intake-to-reference ratios were calculated using age- and sex-specific dietary reference values. Anthropometric distributions differed significantly from national growth references for weight (P = 0.002), body mass index (P = 0.024), waist circumference (P = 0.008), and waist-to-height ratio (P = 0.001) but not height (P = 0.673). Among males, energy intake increased significantly with age (P = 0.005), and age-group differences were observed for carbohydrate (P = 0.002), phosphorus (P < 0.001), and thiamin (P = 0.011) intake-to-reference ratios. In the total sample, the intake-to-reference ratios differed by age for protein (P = 0.036), carbohydrate (P = 0.026), phosphorus (P < 0.001), thiamin (P = 0.018), and riboflavin (P = 0.007).
CONCLUSIONS: Compared with reference values, children and adolescents with ADHD showed deviations in anthropometric distributions and age-related differences in nutrient intake. These findings support the consideration of both growth distribution and nutrient balance in nutritional assessments of this population.
WHAT IS KNOWN: • Children and adolescents with ADHD may exhibit suboptimal dietary patterns and altered anthropometric status.
WHAT IS NEW: • Anthropometric distributions in children and adolescents with ADHD were more strongly represented at both the lower and upper extremes than were national growth references. • High and low nutrient intakes coexist, indicating an imbalanced nutritional profile rather than uniformly insufficient intake.