Abstract:
To determine the prevalence of self-reported attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms among medical
students in Eldoret, Kenya. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study of all medical students who gave consent to participate in the study.
Undertaken at Moi University’s School of Medicine in Eldoret, Kenya. Comprising two hundred and fifty three (253) undergraduate medical
students, with a mean age of 23.7 years (19-42, s.d. 4.1), of whom 51% were female. Measuring ADHD symptomatology using the Adult
ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS v1.1). Results: The prevalence rate of self-reported ADHD symptoms using the ASRS screener was
23.7%. This was significantly associated with being in the age-group 17-20 years compared (p<0.05). The prevalence rate was higher
among females (25.6%) than among males (21.8%), but this difference was not statistically significant. Preclinical students had a higher
prevalence rate of ADHD symptoms (28.7%) compared to clinical students (19.6%), but this was also not statistically significant. Using a
modification of the ASRS full symptom checklist to approximate a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, text
revision (DSM-IV-TR) ADHD diagnosis yielded a ‘possible ADHD’ prevalence rate of 8.7%. Of these, the inattentive type was the most
common (40.9%). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of self-reported ADHD symptoms among medical students in Eldoret is very high
and possibly interferes with the students’ social and academic functioning. Further studies are suggested to generate information on the
real ADHD prevalence in the general population and in special populations such as schools and colleges
