Sex and racial/ethnic differences in the association between childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptom subtypes and body mass index in the transition from adolescence to adulthood in the United States.

BACKGROUND: While attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been associated with higher body mass index (BMI), little research has focused on how this association differs by sex or race/ethnicity. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between ADHD and BMI by sex and race/ethnicity (ie, European [EA], African [AA], and Hispanic American [HA]). METHODS: Data came from the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent to Adult Health Waves II to IV (n = 13 332, age: 12-34 years). On the basis of self-reported childhood ADHD symptoms between the ages of 5 and 12 years, participants were categorized into: ADHD predominantly hyperactive/impulsive (ADHD-HI); ADHD predominantly inattentive (ADHD-I); ADHD combined (ADHD-C; a combination of ADHD-HI and ADHD-I symptoms); and non-ADHD. RESULTS: The patterns of ADHD-BMI associations in the transition period between adolescence and young adulthood differed by sex and race/ethnicity. Compared with non-ADHD, ADHD-HI was associated with higher BMI among EA males and females, while ADHD-I was associated with higher BMI among EA females. ADHD-C was associated with higher BMI for HA females. We found no evidence of an association among AA males and females and HA males. CONCLUSION: These study results suggest that the association between ADHD subtypes and BMI might differ across population subgroups in the United States.