Influence of parental education on care patterns of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorders in Indonesia

Severe disparities in the care of children with Attention Deficit-yperactivity Disorder (ADHD) against the background of financial stability and parental demographic areas are major public health challenges in Indonesia. This study was designed to investigate how parental education influences care pattern of children with ADHD. We carried out interventions in the form of counseling and assistance regarding the care of ADHD children in the family. Of the 70 children included in the study, 33 (47.1%) did not attend mental health appointments and 51 (72.9%) did not receive any treatment at 3 to 6 month follow-up. Logistic regression showed that increasing age and medication problems were associated with fewer follow-ups on mental health appointments (P < 0.05) and less treatment utilization (P < 0.05). The results of this study implicated that the higher the educational background the parent has, the more adequate treatment the ADHD children receive. This is the fact that care patterns are likely dependent on parental education’s status. Further study on which factor between financial status and socio-demographic that has higher impact on ADHD children’s parents and coping style should be conducted.