prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms in schoolchildren in a highly consanguineous community

The objective of the present study was to find the prevalence of attention deficit hyperactivity [ADH] symptoms in a sample of primary schoolchildren in Qatar and investigate the behaviour of the children with and without ADH symptoms in a highly consanguineous community. A total of 2,500 primary school students, aged 6-12 years, were randomly selected from the government primary schools, and 1,869 students [947 boys and 922 girls] gave consent to participate in this study. An Arabic questionnaire was used to collect the sociodemographic variables and a standardized Arabic version of the Conners' Teacher Rating Scale for ADH symptoms. Of the 947 boys, 158 [16.7%; 95% confidence interval, CI, 14.4-19.2] and of the 922 girls, 50 [5.4%; 95% CI 4.1-7.1] scored above the cut-off [>/= 15] for ADH symptoms, thus giving an overall prevalence of 11.1% [95% CI 9.7-12.6]. The children who had higher scores for ADH symptoms were in the age group of 6-9 years. Children who had higher scores for ADH symptoms had a poorer school performance than those with lower scores [p = 0.002]. Two hundred [96.2%] children with ADH were disobedient, 126 [60.6%] noisy and hyperactive, 76 [36.5%] very cranky, 78 [37.5%] troublesome and 79 [37.9%] nervous. The logistic regression identified socio-economic condition, number of children, school performance and poor relationship between parents as the main contributors to ADH. Although the univariate analysis showed a significant relationship [p = 0.010] between ADH symptoms and consanguineous parents, logistic regression did not support this association [p = 0.075]. This suggests that consanguinity has no impact on ADH children. The study revealed that ADH is a common problem among schoolchildren. The children with higher scores for ADH symptoms had a poorer school performance than those with lower scores. A significant difference exists between the behaviour of children with and without ADH

Consanguineous marriages and their effects on common adult diseases: studies from an endogamous population

The aim of the study was to determine the extent and nature of consanguinity in the Qatari population and its effects on common adult diseases. The study was conducted in urban and semi-urban areas of Qatar between October 2004 and May 2005. The total sample of 1,050 married Qatari females 15 years of age and over were approached for study. The degree of con-sanguinity between each female and her spouse and the degree of consanguinity between their parents were recorded. Of 1,050 married Qatari females who were approached, 876 agreed to participate in the study, giving an 83.4% response. The rate of consanguinity in the present generation was 51% [95% confidence interval=47.7-54.4] with a coefficient of inbreeding of 0.023724. The consanguinity rate and coefficient of inbreeding in the current generation were significantly higher than the maternal rate [51.0 vs. 40.3%; p<0.001; 0.023724 vs. 0.016410 maternal]. All types of consanguineous marriages were higher in this generation, particularly first cousins [26.7 vs. 21.4% paternal and 23.1% maternal] and double first cousins [4.3 vs. 2.9% paternal and 0.8% maternal]. The current generation of consanguineous parents had a slightly higher risk for most diseases: cancer, mental disorders, heart diseases, gastro-intestinal disorders, hypertension, hearing deficit and diabetes mellitus. All reported diseases were more frequent in consanguineous marriages. The study showed that in a population with a high rate of consanguinity, there is a significant increase in the prevalence of common adult diseases like cancer, mental disorders, heart diseases, gastro-intestinal disorders, hypertension and hearing deficit