Gender and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Relative Age Effects on ADHD Prescriptions: Evidence from Denmark

Konrad Juel Thide; Felix Johannes Pettersson Bøgh; Birthe Larsen

doi:10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112000

Gender and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Relative Age Effects on ADHD Prescriptions: Evidence from Denmark

Konrad Juel Thide, Felix Johannes Pettersson Bøgh, Birthe Larsen^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Economics

University of Copenhagen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter › peer-review

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Abstract

This paper examines the impact of relative age on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prescriptions among school-aged children. Using a regression discontinuity design, we leverage the quasi-experimental variation in school starting age. We use administrative data for all children aged 6–16 from 2010 to 2019 in Denmark. We find a significant decrease in ADHD prescription rates for girls who are relatively old compared to their class mates. We do not find any significant results for boys. We further test the social gradient in relative age on ADHD prescriptions and find that the effect is entirely driven by girls from low income families.

Original language	English
Article number	112000
Journal	Economics Letters
Volume	244
Number of pages	4
ISSN	0165-1765
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112000
Publication status	Published - Nov 2024

Keywords

ADHD
Misdiagnoses
Children
Gender
Socio-economic outcomes

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title = "Gender and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Relative Age Effects on ADHD Prescriptions: Evidence from Denmark",

abstract = "This paper examines the impact of relative age on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prescriptions among school-aged children. Using a regression discontinuity design, we leverage the quasi-experimental variation in school starting age. We use administrative data for all children aged 6–16 from 2010 to 2019 in Denmark. We find a significant decrease in ADHD prescription rates for girls who are relatively old compared to their class mates. We do not find any significant results for boys. We further test the social gradient in relative age on ADHD prescriptions and find that the effect is entirely driven by girls from low income families.",

keywords = "ADHD, Misdiagnoses, Children, Gender, Socio-economic outcomes, ADHD, Misdiagnoses, Children, Gender, Socio-economic outcomes",

author = "Thide, {Konrad Juel} and B{\o}gh, {Felix Johannes Pettersson} and Birthe Larsen",

year = "2024",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112000",

language = "English",

volume = "244",

journal = "Economics Letters",

issn = "0165-1765",

publisher = "Elsevier",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Gender and Socioeconomic Dimensions of Relative Age Effects on ADHD Prescriptions

T2 - Evidence from Denmark

AU - Thide, Konrad Juel

AU - Bøgh, Felix Johannes Pettersson

AU - Larsen, Birthe

PY - 2024/11

Y1 - 2024/11

N2 - This paper examines the impact of relative age on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prescriptions among school-aged children. Using a regression discontinuity design, we leverage the quasi-experimental variation in school starting age. We use administrative data for all children aged 6–16 from 2010 to 2019 in Denmark. We find a significant decrease in ADHD prescription rates for girls who are relatively old compared to their class mates. We do not find any significant results for boys. We further test the social gradient in relative age on ADHD prescriptions and find that the effect is entirely driven by girls from low income families.

AB - This paper examines the impact of relative age on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) prescriptions among school-aged children. Using a regression discontinuity design, we leverage the quasi-experimental variation in school starting age. We use administrative data for all children aged 6–16 from 2010 to 2019 in Denmark. We find a significant decrease in ADHD prescription rates for girls who are relatively old compared to their class mates. We do not find any significant results for boys. We further test the social gradient in relative age on ADHD prescriptions and find that the effect is entirely driven by girls from low income families.

KW - ADHD

KW - Misdiagnoses

KW - Children

KW - Gender

KW - Socio-economic outcomes

KW - ADHD

KW - Misdiagnoses

KW - Children

KW - Gender

KW - Socio-economic outcomes

U2 - 10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112000

DO - 10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112000

M3 - Letter

SN - 0165-1765

VL - 244

JO - Economics Letters

JF - Economics Letters

M1 - 112000

ER -