IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i15p8440-d603458.html

Gender Differences in the Comorbidity of ADHD Symptoms and Specific Learning Disorders in a Population-Based Sample

Author

Listed:
  • Julia Kerner auch Koerner

    (Educational Psychology, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg, 22043 Hamburg, Germany
    Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    These authors share first authorship.)

  • Linda Visser

    (Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    Department of Education and Human Development, DIPF|Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    These authors share first authorship.)

  • Josefine Rothe

    (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Technische Universität Dresden, 01307 Dresden, Germany)

  • Gerd Schulte-Körne

    (Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany)

  • Marcus Hasselhorn

    (Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive Education of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
    Department of Education and Human Development, DIPF|Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany)

Abstract

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit comorbid specific learning disorders. In clinical samples, comorbidity in girls with ADHD tends to be more common than in boys with ADHD. However, this is not the case in studies of random samples. In this paper gender differences in the comorbidity of ADHD symptoms and learning disorders in reading, spelling and math are explored in a population-based sample of 2605 3rd and 4th graders (1304 girls) without symptoms of ADHD and 415 (141 girls) with symptoms of ADHD. Girls with ADHD symptoms had higher ratios of comorbid math disorders than boys with ADHD symptoms, but not with reading or spelling disorders. Math achievement was predicted by gender and by symptoms of inattention. Girls with ADHD symptoms and math disorders received the same amount of additional support from teachers or therapists as boys with ADHD symptoms and math disorders. Our results highlight the importance of exploring the increased comorbidity of specific learning disorders in children with ADHD symptoms and especially with math disorders in girls with ADHD symptoms. Implications for providing suitable interventions and preventing the accumulation of academic problems are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Kerner auch Koerner & Linda Visser & Josefine Rothe & Gerd Schulte-Körne & Marcus Hasselhorn, 2021. "Gender Differences in the Comorbidity of ADHD Symptoms and Specific Learning Disorders in a Population-Based Sample," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-17, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8440-:d:603458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8440/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/15/8440/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rosseel, Yves, 2012. "lavaan: An R Package for Structural Equation Modeling," Journal of Statistical Software, Foundation for Open Access Statistics, vol. 48(i02).
    2. Darina Czamara & Carla M T Tiesler & Gabriele Kohlböck & Dietrich Berdel & Barbara Hoffmann & Carl-Peter Bauer & Sibylle Koletzko & Beate Schaaf & Irina Lehmann & Olf Herbarth & Andrea von Berg & Bert, 2013. "Children with ADHD Symptoms Have a Higher Risk for Reading, Spelling and Math Difficulties in the GINIplus and LISAplus Cohort Studies," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(5), pages 1-7, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Md. Mominur Rahman & Bilkis Akhter, 2021. "The impact of investment in human capital on bank performance: evidence from Bangladesh," Future Business Journal, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, December.
    2. César Merino-Soto & Gina Chávez-Ventura & Verónica López-Fernández & Guillermo M. Chans & Filiberto Toledano-Toledano, 2022. "Learning Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-L): Psychometric and Measurement Invariance Evidence in Peruvian Undergraduate Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Nathaniel Oliver Iotti & Damiano Menin & Tomas Jungert, 2022. "Early Adolescents’ Motivations to Defend Victims of Cyberbullying," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(14), pages 1-9, July.
    4. Christoph Dworschak, 2024. "Bias mitigation in empirical peace and conflict studies: A short primer on posttreatment variables," Journal of Peace Research, Peace Research Institute Oslo, vol. 61(3), pages 462-476, May.
    5. Andreea-Ionela Puiu & Anca Monica Ardeleanu & Camelia Cojocaru & Anca Bratu, 2021. "Exploring the Effect of Status Quo, Innovativeness, and Involvement Tendencies on Luxury Fashion Innovations: The Mediation Role of Status Consumption," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(9), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Slupphaug, KJell & Mehmetoglu, Mehmet & Mittner, Matthias, 2024. "modsem: An R package for estimating latent interactions and quadratic effects," OSF Preprints h3rpw, Center for Open Science.
    7. Marcos Pascual-Soler & Jose Berrios-Riquelme & Raquel Gomez-Frias & Leynin Caamaño-Rocha & Dolores Frias-Navarro, 2025. "Oxford Utilitarianism Scale: Psychometric Properties of a Spanish Adaptation (OUS-Spa)," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(1), pages 21582440251, March.
    8. Allen, Jaime & Muñoz, Juan Carlos & Ortúzar, Juan de Dios, 2019. "On evasion behaviour in public transport: Dissatisfaction or contagion?," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 626-651.
    9. Merkle, Edgar C. & Steyvers, Mark & Mellers, Barbara & Tetlock, Philip E., 2017. "A neglected dimension of good forecasting judgment: The questions we choose also matter," International Journal of Forecasting, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 817-832.
    10. Sai-fu Fung & Esther Oi-wah Chow & Chau-kiu Cheung, 2020. "Development and Evaluation of the Psychometric Properties of a Brief Wisdom Development Scale," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(8), pages 1-14, April.
    11. Zou, Yuxuan & Wang, Donggen, 2025. "Differences in the influence of the built environment and physical activity on obesity in urban and suburban contexts," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 372(C).
    12. repec:plo:pone00:0205222 is not listed on IDEAS
    13. Goran Calic & Moren Lévesque & Anton Shevchenko, 2024. "On why women-owned businesses take more time to secure microloans," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 63(3), pages 917-938, October.
    14. Dang Vu, Hoai Nam & Nielsen, Martin Reinhardt, 2022. "Understanding determinants of the intention to buy rhino horn in Vietnam through the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 195(C).
    15. Raf Buyle & Mathias Van Compernolle & Eveline Vlassenroot & Ziggy Vanlishout & Peter Mechant & Erik Mannens, 2018. "“Technology Readiness and Acceptance Model” as a Predictor for the Use Intention of Data Standards in Smart Cities," Media and Communication, Cogitatio Press, vol. 6(4), pages 127-139.
    16. Wenigmann, Marc & Weiß, Julia & Heidelberg, Rahel, 2024. "Holding anti-feminist gender role beliefs mediate the relationship between family-related adverse childhood experiences and different forms of intimate partner violence perpetration in adulthood," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 93(C).
    17. Evans O. Mudibo & Jasper Bogaert & Caroline Tigoi & Moses M. Ngari & Benson O. Singa & Christina L. Lancioni & Abdoulaye Hama Diallo & Emmie Mbale & Ezekiel Mupere & John Mukisa & Johnstone Thitiri & , 2024. "Systemic biological mechanisms underpin poor post-discharge growth among severely wasted children with HIV," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    18. Georges Steffgen & Philipp E. Sischka & Martha Fernandez de Henestrosa, 2020. "The Quality of Work Index and the Quality of Employment Index: A Multidimensional Approach of Job Quality and Its Links to Well-Being at Work," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-31, October.
    19. Zaitun Mohd Saman & Ab Hamid Siti-Azrin & Azizah Othman & Yee Cheng Kueh, 2021. "The Validity and Reliability of the Malay Version of the Cyberbullying Scale among Secondary School Adolescents in Malaysia," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-12, November.
    20. Dennis Cook, R. & Forzani, Liliana, 2023. "On the role of partial least squares in path analysis for the social sciences," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    21. Castaldo, Sandro & Ciacci, Andrea & Penco, Lara, 2023. "Perceived corporate social responsibility and job satisfaction in grocery retail: A comparison between low- and high-productivity stores," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8440-:d:603458. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.