Abstract
IntroductionAsthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. Previous studies have shown that school absenteeism is related to family income of individual students. However, there is little research examining whether school absenteeism is related to school-level concentration of low-income students, independent of family income. The objective of this study was to examine whether the proportion of low-income students at a school was related to school absenteeism due to asthma.MethodsUsing data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, a population-based survey of California households, we examined the association between attending schools with high concentrations of low-income students and missing school because of asthma, adjusting for demographic characteristics, asthma severity, and health insurance status. Schools with high concentrations of low-income students were identified on the basis of the percentage of students participating in the free and reduced-price meal program, data publicly available from the California Department of Education.ResultsStudents attending schools with the highest concentrations of low-income students were more likely to miss school because of asthma. Students from low-income families, younger students, those with more frequent asthma symptoms, or those taking prescription asthma medications also were more likely to miss school because of asthma.ConclusionThe use of school-level interventions to decrease school absenteeism due to asthma should be explored, especially in schools with high concentrations of low-income students. Potential interventions could include school-based asthma education and disease management or indoor and outdoor air pollution control.
Highlights
Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism
Using data from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey, a population-based survey of California households, we examined the association between attending schools with high concentrations of low-income students and missing school because of asthma, adjusting for demographic characteristics, asthma severity, and health insurance status
The first regression model indicated that children in the lowest family income group were more likely to miss school because of asthma than children in the highest income group, while adjusting for all other covariates (Table 2)
Summary
Asthma is one of the leading causes of school absenteeism. Previous studies have shown that school absenteeism is related to family income of individual students. There is little research examining whether school absenteeism is related to school-level concentration of low-income students, independent of family income. The objective of this study was to examine whether the proportion of low-income students at a school was related to school absenteeism due to asthma. In 2009, an estimated 10.2 million US children (9.6%) had diagnosed asthma [1]. In California in 2007, approximately 1.4 million children (15.4%) had diagnosed asthma [2]. In 2008, asthma accounted for an estimated 14.4 million lost days of school among children nationally [4]. In California, schoolaged children missed approximately 1.6 million days of school because of asthma in 2007 [2]. Students with asthma may be more likely to experience the poor academic outcomes associated with increased absenteeism
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