Expectancy and Achievement Gaps in Educational Attainment and Subsequent Adverse Health Effects among Adolescents With and without Chronic Medical Conditions

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As a multiple determinants of health model posits that hierarchical and dynamic circumstances and environments play a substantial role in determining individual health, the importance of understanding developing socioeconomic context during critical periods cannot be overstated. While socioeconomic status is known to cumulatively affect health across the life-course, it is unknown to what extent pediatric onset chronic conditions contribute to achievement gaps in educational attainment, a critical component of SES, and how these disparities may independently or jointly contribute to disparities in health. As such, we sought to investigate disparities in educational aspiration, expectations, and achievement among adolescents and young adults with and without chronic conditions, and to determine if these relationships mediated subsequent disparities in health status during young adulthood.