(NEW YORK) -- The number of children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is on the rise, a new study published on Monday suggests.
Looking at health records from Southern California, insurance provider Kaiser Permanente found that among kids ages 5 to 11, the rate of ADHD rose 24 percent between 2001 and 2010.
Researchers also noted after examining more than 800,000 children with ADHD that boys were three times more likely to be diagnosed than girls.
Kaiser Permanente said it's likely the spike came from parents and doctors growing more aware of the disorder.
Critics of the study, however, say it is too narrow, focusing on members of one health plan, and that it relies too heavily on doctors' records, which can be inconsistent.
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