Authors
Anna Morris, David M Howard, Adam Shortland, Linglong Qian, Zina Ibrahim, Jonathan Hind, Laurence Telesia, Faith Matcham, Edmund Sonuga-Barke, Johnny Downs
Published in
Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines. Aug 14, 2026. Epub Aug 14, 2026.
Abstract
Hyperactivity is a core symptom of childhood attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), yet no population-based studies have compared objective and subjective hyperactivity measures across the school day.
This study used data from N = 6,518 seven-year-olds in the Millennium Cohort Study. Physical activity was objectively measured using actigraphy every 15 min (Monday-Friday), and hyperactivity was assessed via parent and teacher Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire ratings, analysed both as continuous (0-10) and binary (≥7; possible ADHD) scores. The association between actigraphy and hyperactivity were assessed via repeated ANOVAs throughout the day, accounting for sex and linear regressions during three school lessons (Lesson 1: 9.00-9.45 am Lesson 2: 11.00-11.45 am and Lesson 3: 1.15-2.00 pm). The effect sizes and standard errors were compared between morning and afternoon lessons.
Continuous ratings from both parents and teachers were positively associated with objective activity across the school day (effect sizes = .015 and .008, respectively, both pFDR < .001). For teacher ratings, associations with continuous hyperactivity were significantly stronger in Lessons 2 and 3 than in Lesson 1 (Z = 3.24, pFDR = .005; Z = 2.80, pFDR = .020, respectively).
These results illustrate how objective activity measurement can augment subjective assessments by capturing richer behavioural patterns in naturalistic educational settings.
PMID:
42601085
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Aug 2026.
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