A survey of 388 parents in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Region found that most recognized core attention-related symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), while misunderstandings remained around hyperactivity, medication, sugar and the condition’s causes.
The study, conducted by Alyahya et al. at King Saud University, surveyed parents whose children, aged 1 to 18, had a clinically diagnosed ADHD condition. The anonymous questionnaire was shared mainly through Telegram and WhatsApp groups and covered symptoms, causes, treatment, long-term course and information sources.
Attention symptoms were widely recognized
Nearly all respondents agreed that people with ADHD can have trouble maintaining attention: 95.6% endorsed difficulty keeping attention, and 92.8% agreed that people with ADHD may struggle to stay on one task.
Parents also commonly recognized other features included in the questionnaire. Agreement was reported for frequently interrupting others (85.6%), having trouble sitting still when asked (84.8%) and having more difficulty getting along with classmates (84.3%).
However, 68.3% agreed with the statement that people with ADHD are always hyperactive, while 29.1% disagreed. The researchers noted that this belief can overlook the predominantly inattentive presentation of ADHD.
Medication and sugar beliefs were mixed
Parents were also uncertain about a commonly discussed concern: whether medication for childhood ADHD increases the risk of drug abuse during adolescence. In the survey, 41.5% correctly said it does not increase that risk, 13.9% said it does, and 44.6% were unsure.
The study referred to a 2013 meta-analysis of 15 studies involving 2,565 participants. That analysis found similar substance-use outcomes among children with ADHD who took stimulant medication and those who did not. Across the substances assessed, stimulant medication neither raised nor lowered later risk. This finding does not mean medication eliminates future substance-use risk.
Beliefs about sugar were similarly divided. About 40.7% thought eating large amounts of candy and sugar puts children at risk of ADHD, while 42.3% disagreed and 17.0% were unsure. A 1995 meta-analysis of blinded studies found no effect of sugar on children’s behavior or thinking, although it said a small effect in some children could not be ruled out.
Parents generally rejected blame-based views
Several responses reflected favorable views about children with ADHD. Most parents agreed that people with ADHD can be as successful in life as anyone else (70.9%), and 65.7% rejected the idea that ADHD means a lower IQ.
More than half, 55.7%, did not think the way a child is raised causes ADHD, while 28.1% thought it could. In addition, 51.3% viewed ADHD as a genetic disorder and 69.6% described it as a neurodevelopmental disorder.
Views on treatment were also broadly aligned with an individualized approach: 81.2% said behavioral therapy and medication can both work depending on the child’s situation. For the condition’s long-term course, 70.4% described ADHD as lasting, with symptoms that can be managed, while 13.1% thought it can be cured completely.
Knowledge differed across groups
Overall, 180 parents, or 46.4% of the sample, were classified as having “more favorable” knowledge because they answered at least half of the knowledge items correctly.
The proportion in this group was higher among mothers than fathers—50.2% compared with 26.2%—and among parents with the highest education level than among those with a high school education or less—59.7% compared with 35.1%. Parents of boys were more likely to be in the more favorable knowledge group than parents of girls, at 53.7% and 31.8%, respectively. Parents aged 30 to 39 recorded the highest knowledge scores.
These comparisons show differences within this sample; they do not establish that parent sex, education or a child’s sex caused differences in ADHD knowledge. The analysis used simple chi-square tests and did not separate overlapping factors.
Many parents wanted clearer information
Almost all respondents, 91.0%, said their understanding of ADHD had grown after their child’s diagnosis. Yet 51.0% said their information sources had not answered all their questions, and 56.4% said accessible ADHD resources were insufficient.
Nearly all parents, 94.6%, wanted more ADHD awareness campaigns. The researchers recommended parent education through health-care and community settings, with attention to ADHD causes, symptoms and medication.
The findings point to a practical information gap: recognizing attention difficulties does not necessarily mean that families have equally clear information about the different ways ADHD can appear, what research says about treatment-related concerns or how to evaluate common claims.
Key takeaways
- In a survey of 388 parents in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Region, 95.6% recognized difficulty maintaining attention as an ADHD feature.
- About 68.3% believed ADHD always involves hyperactivity, a view the researchers said overlooks the predominantly inattentive presentation.
- Nearly 45% of parents were unsure whether childhood ADHD medication affects later adolescent drug-abuse risk.
- A 2013 meta-analysis cited in the study found similar later substance-use outcomes among children with ADHD who did and did not take stimulant medication across the substances assessed.
What this means
The survey is relevant to families and communities because it shows that broad recognition of ADHD symptoms can coexist with uncertainty about how the condition presents and what research says about treatment and common myths. Its results describe this Riyadh Region sample rather than all parents in Saudi Arabia or elsewhere. The cited medication and sugar research addresses population-level findings and does not determine what is appropriate for any individual child.
What the evidence cannot tell us
- The survey was a single cross-sectional online survey and could describe beliefs at one point in time but could not explain why parents differed in knowledge or what would change their views.
- The sample was a convenience sample recruited mainly through messaging groups; no response rate was reported, and parents active in online ADHD groups may differ from others.
- The questionnaire was written and pretested but was not formally tested for reliability or validity.
- Children’s ADHD diagnoses were reported by parents and were not confirmed from records or other documentation in the supplied fact sheet description.
AI tools were used to assist with the preparation of this article under our editorial standards.
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