School Absenteeism Research Articles

Building up bit by bit, parent’s experiences of equine–assisted intervention among children and adolescents with mental illness: a grounded theory study

ABSTRACT Background Mental ill health among children and adolescents has increased worldwide. Mental health difficulties from a young age are associated with school absence and educational underachievement. A holistic perspective of treatments besides medical treatment is essential Thus, there is a need for research regarding equine-assisted intervention (EAI). Purpose The present study aimed to understand the outcomes of an equine-assisted intervention for children and adolescents with mental ill health from the perspectives of parents and close relatives. Methods This study used a qualitative research design informed by Charmaz’s Grounded Theory, with a purposive sample including six in-depth interviews. Results The theory “building up bit by bit” was constructed, explaining the recognition that their children/adolescents were built up bit by bit and created a stronger self-identity. The participants referred to changes in the child’s or adolescent’s way of being and emotional regulation, which constituted building blocks leading to the child’s or adolescent’s 1. increased Harmony. 2. enhanced Self-identity, and 3. improved Capability. Conclusion Parents and close relatives experienced that their child or adolescent was built up bit by bit and gained a stronger foundation to stand on. This led to increased harmony in everyday life with stronger self-worth, better performance, and reduced school absenteeism.

Evaluating the impact of school-based influenza vaccination programme on absenteeism and outbreaks at schools in Hong Kong: a retrospective cohort study protocol

IntroductionSeasonal influenza causes annual school breaks and student absenteeism in Hong Kong schools and kindergartens. This proposal aims to conduct a retrospective cohort study to evaluate the impact of a school-based influenza vaccination (SIV) programme on absenteeism and outbreaks at schools in Hong Kong.MethodsThe study will compare schools that implemented the SIV programme with schools that did not. The data will be sourced from school records, encompassing absenteeism records, outbreak reports, and vaccination rates. We will recruit 1000 students from 381 schools and kindergartens in 18 districts of Hong Kong starting June 2024. The primary outcome measures will include absenteeism rates due to influenza and school influenza outbreaks. Secondary outcomes will consist of vaccination coverage rates and the impact of the SIV programme on hospitalisations due to influenza-like illness. A t-test will be conducted to compare the outcomes between schools with and without the SIV programme.Ethics and disseminationThe school completed signing the participants’ informed consent form before reporting the data to us. Our study has been approved by the Hospital Authority Hong Kong West Cluster IRB Committee (IRB No: UW 17–111) and was a subtopic of the research “The estimated age-group specific influenza vaccine coverage rates in Hong Kong and the impact of the school outreach vaccination program”.Trial registrationThis study will be retrospectively registered.

Differences between parents' and paediatricians' perceptions of mild respiratory infections in childhood: contrast study.

Mild respiratory infections are a common reason for consultation in paediatrics, both in the emergency department and in primary care clinics. These conditions, mostly viral and self-limiting, have a significant impact on the healthcare system, school and work absenteeism, and family routines. Despite being common and banal illnesses from a medical perspective, they involve a significant concern in families. The main objective of the contrast study was to compare the perceptions of parents and paediatricians regarding mild respiratory infections in childhood and their impact on family conciliation. Two online, cross-sectional surveys were conducted among Spanish paediatricians and parents with children aged 6 months to 12 years, involving 504 paediatricians and 1,447 families, with questions on attitudes towards visits to the paediatric consultation, care burden of minor pathologies, work, and family conciliation, and treatment and prevention of these illnesses. Results showed significant differences in paediatricians' and parents' perceptions in many aspects. According to 34.5% of paediatricians and 27% of parents, families regularly go to the paediatrician without a scheduled visit. Only 4% of parents report having self-medicated their child, while paediatricians raise this percentage significantly to 48%. Regarding the question: "it is normal for a child to have an average of 4 colds a year," only 25.5% of the surveyed families "strongly agree" unlike to 70.2% of paediatricians. 72.8% of paediatricians "strongly agree" with: "in my opinion, it is good for children to get sick to improve their immune system" reduced to 45.9% of parents. Consultations for minor pathologies represent a "high workload" for 60.9% of paediatricians, while this opinion is agreed by only 18.9% of the parents. Mild respiratory infections in childhood are perceived differently by paediatricians and parents. While paediatricians perceive them as a common and manageable phenomenon, parents tend to show higher concern and demand for medical attention. This study underlines the need to improve communication between paediatricians and parents to align perceptions, optimise the use of the health system resources, and improve the efficiency in the management of these common paediatric illnesses.

School Absenteeism In Children And Factors Associated With School Absenteeism

School Absenteeism In Children And Factors Associated With School Absenteeism

THE SPARŚA PROJECT: BUILDING A COMPREHENSIVE MENSTRUAL HEALTH MANAGEMENT INTERVENTION IN NEPAL

This article addresses the pervasive silence around menstrual health management (MHM) in Nepal, emphasizing its impact on women's rights. Despite being a natural process, menstruation remains taboo, perpetuating gender discrimination and restricting women's empowerment. This study examines the lack of sufficient menstruation-related targets in international development agendas and focuses on Nepal's cultural norms concerning this issue that affect women's behaviour, health, and social participation. The paper advocates for a comprehensive understanding of women's experiences and preferences to design effective MHM interventions. It explores various strategies, including campaigns against practices like Chhaupadi, presents findings from a field survey and introduces the Sparśa project - a women-led social enterprise offering biodegradable pads to counteract menstrual discrimination across Nepal. The article emphasises the historical neglect of menstrual-related needs, resulting in adverse effects like school absenteeism and social marginalization. It highlights the crucial role of coordinated efforts and fostering knowledge-sharing to implement more impactful and comprehensive interventions in the field of MHM. The research highlights the Sparśa project's potential to transform societal perceptions of menstruation, break the silence, and contribute to women's rights. It offers insights into the challenges faced by Nepali women and provides valuable considerations for global menstrual health initiatives.

Can oral health have an impact on academic performance and school absenteeism?

Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the association between oral health and academic performance and/or school absenteeism. Methods: Electronic searches were performed of the PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS and LILACS/BVS databases. We included observational studies that evaluated the association between dental caries, tooth loss, dental pain or oral health status with school absenteeism or academic performance. The studies had to contain a representative sample of the population: schoolchildren, children or adolescents. After the removal of duplicates, the electronic searches produced 3,789 articles. Of these, 25 studies were included in the systematic review and 13 in the meta-analysis. Results: Considering all the studies evaluated in the meta-analysis, seven articles satisfied 100% of the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal checklist, and six contained between 90% and 75% positive answers. The pooled effects showed that the chances of school absenteeism were 31% higher in subjects with dental caries (OR 1.31; 95%CI 1.12-1.54). Students with fair/poor dental health had a 50% higher chance of suffering poor academic performance (OR 1.50; 95%CI 1.22-1.84) and 34% higher chance of having problems at school (OR 1.34; 95%CI 1.06-1.70). Students with a history of toothache had a 3.7 higher chance of being absent from school (OR 6.65; 95%CI 1.60-8.32) and 71% higher chance of missing class due to toothache (OR 1.71; 95%CI 1.15-2.56). Subjects with a history of toothache had a 2.5 times higher chance of suffering poor academic performance (OR 2.58; 95% CI 2.04-3.27). Conclusion: Therefore, students with oral problems were more likely to take time off school and present inferior academic performance.

Planned and unplanned hospital admissions and health-related school absence rates in children with neurodisability: Protocol for a population-based study using linked education and hospital data from England.

Neurodisability describes a broad set of conditions affecting the brain and nervous system which result in functional limitations. Children with neurodisability have more hospital admissions than their peers without neurodisability and higher rates of school absence. However, longitudinal evidence comparing rates of hospital admission and school absence in children with neurodisability to peers without neurodisability throughout school is limited, as is understanding about whether differences are greatest for planned care (e.g., scheduled appointments) or unplanned care. This study will describe rates of planned and unplanned hospital admissions and school absence due to illness and medical reasons throughout primary school (Reception to Year 6, ages 4 to 11 in England) for children with neurodisability and all other children, using linked individual-level health and education data. We will use the ECHILD (Education and Child Insights from Linked Data) database, which links educational and health records across England. We will define a primary school cohort of children who were born in National Health Service-funded hospitals in England between 1 st September 2003 and 31 st August 2008, and who were enrolled in Reception (age 4/5) at state-funded schools. We will use hospital admissions records to identify children who have recorded indicators of neurodisability from birth up to the end of primary school (Year 6, age 10/11). We will describe rates of planned and unplanned hospital admissions and health-related school absence for three groups of children: those with a neurodisability indicator first recorded before beginning primary school, those with neurodisability first recorded during primary school, and those without a record of neurodisability before end of primary school. We will further explore whether differences between these group vary across primary school years and by socioeconomic and demographic characteristics.

Evaluating changes in functioning and psychological distress in visitors of the @ease youth mental health walk-in centres.

Highly accessible youth initiatives worldwide aim to prevent worsening of mental health problems, but research into outcomes over time is scarce. This study aimed to evaluate outcomes and support use in 12- to 15-year-old visitors of the @ease mental health walk-in centres, a Dutch initiative offering free counselling by trained and supervised peers. Data of 754 visitors, collected 2018-2022, included psychological distress (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation 10 (CORE-10)), social and occupational functioning (Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS)), school absenteeism and support use, analysed with change indicators (first to last visit), and mixed models (first three visits). Among return visitors, 50.5% were female, 79.4% were in tertiary education and 36.9% were born outside of The Netherlands (one-time visitors: 64.7%, 72.9% and 41.3%, respectively). Moreover, 29.9% of return visitors presented with suicidal ideations, 97.1% had clinical psychological distress levels, and 64.1% of the latter had no support in the previous 3 months (one-time visitors: 27.2%, 90.7% and 71.1%, respectively). From visit 1 to 3, psychological distress decreased (β = -3.79, 95% CI -5.41 to -2.18; P < 0.001) and social and occupational functioning improved (β = 3.93, 95% CI 0.51-7.36; P = 0.025). Over an average 3.9 visits, 39.6% improved reliably and 28.0% improved clinically significantly on the SOFAS, which was 28.4% and 8.8%, respectively, on the CORE-10, where 43.2% improved in clinical category. Counselling satisfaction was rated 4.5/5. Reductions in psychological distress, improvements in functioning and high counselling satisfaction were found among @ease visitors, forming a basis for future research with a control group.

Factors associated with compliance with weekly iron and folic acid supplementation among school adolescent girls in Debub Achefer district, northwest Ethiopia: school-based cross-sectional study.

Iron deficiency anemia is a public health problem among adolescents that could be addressed by weekly Iron Folic Acid Supplementation (IFAS). The Ethiopian government piloted weekly IFAS in schools, where itseffectiveness depends on compliance. We assessed the determinants of compliance with the weekly IFAS in Ethiopia. A school-based survey was conducted in 506 adolescent girls on weekly IFAS. Compliance was considered when girls reported WIFAS for at least three months without discontinuation. Bivariable and multivariable logistic regression models were modeled, with odds ratios reported. Out of 506, 25.8% had limited access to educational resources, and 79.4% had no information on IFAS. Among these, 47.9% (95% CI: 45.5-49.9%) had poor compliance with weekly IFAS. Non-compliance was mainly due to school absenteeism (55.9%). Important predictors of poor compliance were adolescent girls' marital status (AOR = 5.21; 1.55-17.6), academic standing (AOR = 4.37; 2.20-8.70), family income (AOR = 1.85; 1.09-3.15), access to health education materials (AOR = 1.57; 1.02-2.40), problems with IFAS (AOR = 2.44; 1.26-4.74), a discouraging home environment for the program (AOR = 2.27; 1.54-3.34), and a lack of knowledge of the IFAS program (AOR = 1.40; 0.97-2.03). Compliance with weekly IFAS is optimal, which could be improved via strong adherence support and feasible supplementation schedules.

Adolescent Social Anxiety, School Satisfaction, Family Emotional Support, and School Absenteeism: Findings from Young-HUNT3 and Norwegian National Education Data.

Background: Adolescents grappling with social anxiety may experience poor school satisfaction, resorting to school-related avoidance behaviors, exemplified by absenteeism, as a coping mechanism. Understanding the role of family support in alleviating the adverse effects of social anxiety on school satisfaction is imperative for fostering supportive educational settings. Although there is literature regarding how school satisfaction promotes positive adolescent outcomes, empirical knowledge on the interrelation between social anxiety, school satisfaction, and family emotional support is limited. This study investigates the association between social anxiety, family emotional support, school satisfaction, and school absenteeism within the theoretical framework of the stage-environment fit theory to offer insight into how family emotional support can moderate the influence of social anxiety on school-related outcomes. Methods: Utilizing a population-based sample of 1861 upper secondary school pupils from the Trøndelag Young Health study "Young-HUNT3 study", we employed an index of moderated mediation to examine the role of family emotional support in moderating the association between social anxiety and school-related avoidance behavior related to school satisfaction. Results: Family emotional support had moderated mediation association for school absenteeism (β = 0.128, 95% CI 0.019, 0.278) and extracurricular activity (β = -0.003, 95% CI -0.008, -0.000). Conclusions: This urges further investigation into the specific mechanisms and individual differences influencing these relationships, aiming to deepen our understanding of adolescents' experiences and inform comprehensive strategies for promoting their well-being within school communities.

School absence of adolescents from single-parent families in Andalusia (Spain): exploring the mediating and moderating role of economic and social resources

This study examines the relationship between growing up in single-parent families and school absence in Andalusia (Spain), considering differences according to adolescents’ social background. Empirical analyses of data from the Social Survey 2010: Education and Housing show that adolescents growing up in single-parent families have, on average, a higher number of school absences than their peers in two-parent families. These disadvantages are greater for adolescents with low social backgrounds, regardless of whether this is measured by parental education or housing tenure. Both economic resources (lower household income) and social resources (poor relationship with absent parent) partially explain the differences in school absence rates amongst adolescents growing up in single-parent families. School environment (teacher–student relationship, atmosphere amongst students, experiences of school violence or ownership of educational institution) are not influential in explaining educational disadvantage amongst adolescents from different family structures, although they are strong predictors of school absence.

Mental health and professional outcomes in parents of children with chronic kidney disease.

This study evaluated parenting stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and their associated factors in parents of children with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This cross-sectional study compared parents of patients with CKD (0-18years) with a matched control group of parents of healthy children. Both groups completed the Parenting Stress Index - Short Form, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The study group consisted of 45 parents (median age 39; 32 mothers) of CKD patients (median age 8; 36% female). Nearly 75% of children had CKD stages 2, 3, or 4, and 44.5% had congenital anomaly of the kidney and urinary tract. Five children (11%) were on dialysis, and 4 (9%) had a functioning kidney graft. Compared with parents of healthy children, more stress and anxiety symptoms were reported. Since the CKD diagnosis, 47% of parents perceived a deterioration of their own health, and 40% reduced work on a structural basis. Higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms were associated with a more negative perception of own health, and more child medical comorbidities and school absence. This study showed higher levels of parenting stress and anxiety symptoms in parents of children with CKD compared with parents of healthy children. This was associated with a less positive perception of their own health, especially if the child had more medical comorbidities or more absence from school. Psychosocial interventions to reduce the parental burden should be integrated in the standard care of pediatric nephrology departments.

Economic burden assessment for the management of asthma patients at Mexico's National Institute for Respiratory Diseases

Determinar la carga económica anual del asma, desde una perspectiva institucional y con base en la clasificación recomendada por GINA, en una cohorte retrospectiva de adultos atendidos en el Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias (INER) de México. Estudio observacional, longitudinal y retrospectivo, llevado a cabo a partir de la información recabada de 247 pacientes femeninas con asma. Se estimaron los costos directos anuales: visitas, pruebas de laboratorio, tratamiento farmacológico y de las crisis o exacerbaciones, para determinar la carga anual de la enfermedad desde una perspectiva institucional, y según la clasificación de la Iniciativa Global para el Asma. El costo promedio anual fue de $43,813,92, que aumentó en relación con la necesidad de aumento de dosis de corticoides inhalados y beta-agonistas de acción prolongada. El costo promedio de la consulta médica fue de $2004.57, $982.82 por gestión de crisis y $2645.95 por pruebas de laboratorio. El tratamiento farmacológico representó la principal carga económica, con un costo promedio anual de $38,180.58. Los resultados resaltan una carga económica del asma estimada en un costo anual por paciente de $43,813.92 MXN (DE=93,348.85), en el contexto del tercer nivel de atención en el sistema de salud público mexicano. La gravedad del asma, los tratamientos y los biológicos fueron los principales factores que aumentaron los costos directos de la atención.

Dysmenorrhea in Tunisian high school adolescent girls: frequency, effects, and absence from school.

Dysmenorrhea is a known phenomenon and not just recently, and investigations conducted recently have shown that female adolescents are very susceptible to this condition. Our goal is to determine the prevalence of dysmenorrhea in Tunisia, its risk factors, its impact on truancy rates, and the therapeutic attitudes of girls attending high school about this illness using an epidemiological survey. This eight-month study, which spans from October 2022 to May 2023, focuses on 160 high school girls between the ages of 13 and 21. It is a transversal descriptive study. The required data is gathered through the distribution of a self-administered questionnaire. The mean age of female adolescent participants is 16.44 years and 68 % of them reported dysmenorrhea. The most common symptoms of the pain were headaches (40.0 %). There is a notable prevalence of absenteeism during the menstrual cycle. There seems to be a trend toward self-medication. In Tunisia, primary dysmenorrhea is a common cause of school absenteeism among female adolescents. Girls' attitudes toward dysmenorrhea indicate a lack of knowledge, which is why it is crucial for midwives and physicians to educate teenage girls about the condition.

Pediatric chronic pain grading-a revised classification of the severity of pediatric chronic pain.

In this study, we describe the development and validation of a revised Pediatric Chronic Pain Grading (P-CPG) for children aged 8 to 17 years that adds emotional impairment to previously used measures of pain intensity and functional impairment. Such a measure enables the assessment of chronic pain severity in different epidemiological and clinical populations, the stratification of treatment according to pain severity, and the monitoring of treatment outcome. The P-CPG was developed using a representative sample of school children with chronic pain (n = 454; Mage = 12.95, SD = 2.22). Construct validity and sensitivity to change were examined within a sample of N = 2448 children and adolescents (Mage = 12.71, SD = 2.47) comprising 3 subsamples (school n = 1562, primary care n = 129, and tertiary care n = 757) affected by chronic pain to varying extents. Results showed that P-CPG grades differed significantly among the 3 subsamples, with school children being least affected by chronic pain and tertiary care patients being most affected. As P-CPG grade increased, so did pain intensity, functional impairment, pain-related school absence, and emotional impairment. Convergent validity was demonstrated by significant positive correlations between the P-CPG and global ratings of pain severity as well as objective claims data; the latter reflects greater health care costs with increasing P-CPG scores. Sensitivity to change was supported by a significant reduction in baseline P-CPG grades 3 and 6 months after intensive interdisciplinary pain treatment in tertiary care sample. In conclusion, the P-CPG is an appropriate measure of pain severity in children and adolescents with chronic pain in clinical as well as epidemiological settings.

Risk and Protective Factors of Self-harm and Suicidality in Adolescents: An Umbrella Review with Meta-Analysis.

Suicide remains the second most common cause of death in young people aged 10-24 years and is a growing concern globally. The literature reports a vast number of factors that can predispose an adolescent to suicidality at an individual, relational, community, or societal level. There is limited high-level research identifying and understanding these risk and protective factors of adolescent suicidality. The present study used an umbrella review and meta-analysis to synthesize evidence from the review literature in the past 20 years on risk and protective factors of self-harm and suicidality (behavior and ideation) in adolescents. The umbrella review included 33 quantitative reviews with 1149 individual studies on suicidality and self-harm. Based on the data synthesis, it compared the public health impact of exposure on the population of the identified exposure. Bullying victimization was the most attributed environmental exposure for suicidality. The other identified significant school and individual factors were sleeping disturbance, school absenteeism, and exposure to antidepressants. Several significant vulnerable young populations were identified with significantly higher prevalence of suicidality, including lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning) youth and those with mental health disorders, problem behaviors, previous suicidality, self-harm, and gender (female). A person-centered approach emphasizing connectedness and bully-free school environments should be a priority focus for schools, health professionals, and public health policymakers.

Women’s access to school, educational attainment, and fertility: Evidence from Jordan

In socially conservative Muslim societies, the absence of a sex-appropriate school in one’s community has historically been a major constraint to girls’ schooling. We use the expansion of access to girls’ or mixed schools in Jordan to investigate the effects of access to school on women’s education and fertility. We find that having access to a sex-appropriate school in a woman’s sub-district of birth led to 3.0–3.4 additional years of schooling and 1.0–1.4 fewer births. Using access to girl-appropriate schools as an instrument for female educational attainment, we find that an additional year of schooling reduces total fertility by 0.3–0.4 births. The impact of schooling on fertility is mostly for births occurring at older ages (30+) and higher parities (6+). We also find evidence of effects on intergenerational transmission of education but we find no evidence that school access has translated into higher participation in the labor market.

IJCM_31A: Menstrual characteristics and school absenteeism among adolescent school girls of Aligarh--A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Menstruation is a significant event during adolescence. It is often a challenging period for adolescent girls since it poses significant challenges. The stigma associated with menstruation, difficulties due to menstrual disorders, and period poverty can often lead to school absenteeism and school dropout among girls. Objectives: 1) To identify menstrual characteristics and explore the symptoms associated with menstrual cycles among adolescent schoolgirls of Aligarh. 2) To examine whether adolescent schoolgirls experience absenteeism during menstruation and to elucidate the reasons for such occurrences. Methodology: This is a cross-sectional study carried out among adolescent school girls of Aligarh. Two urban and two rural schools were selected randomly from the co-educational schools in Aligarh, with inclusion criteria comprising adolescent girls in grades six to ten who had experienced menarche at least six months prior. Parental consent and participant assent were obtained, resulting in the participation of 164 students. Data collection was conducted through a questionnaire method. Results: The respondents’ average age was 14.5±1.33 years, with 84.1% exhibiting regular menstrual cycles out of the 164 participants. The mean age at menarche was 12.7±1.02, and the average duration of menstruation was 4.90±1.54 days. Only 12% of students did not experience pain during menstruation, while the majority reported mild (35.4%), pain only on the first day (30.5%), or excessive (2.8%) pain. Predominant pre-menstrual symptoms included irritability, mood disturbances, and breast tenderness. Despite these challenges, a majority of students (84.1%) affirmed not taking leave during menstruation. Among those who did, the reasons included a lack of facilities for changing pads, insufficient disposal systems for pads, and dysmenorrhoea. Conclusion: This study sheds light on the menstrual characteristics and challenges faced by adolescent schoolgirls in Aligarh. Despite the challenges, the students attend school during menstruation which shows the importance of targeted interventions to address the challenges

Effect of nutritional supplementation on bone mineral density in children with sickle cell disease: protocol for an open-label, randomised controlled clinical trial

IntroductionChildren with sickle cell disease show a significant decrease in bone mineral density, an increase in resting energy expenditure of more than 15%, a decrease in fat and lean mass...

Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis among Primary School Pupils in Riverine Community of Garko Local Government Area, Kano State, Nigeria

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease that has become endemic in the riverine communities, primarily among school-age children, leading to school absenteeism. The study determines the prevalence of urinary Schistosomiasis and predisposition factors. A total of One hundred and fifty urine samples were examined for the presence of Schistosoma haematobium ova and detection of haematuria. The result obtained was tested using the Chi-Square test, and the overall prevalence was 53.3%. The infection rate was higher among males (58%) than the females (42%). The infection rate was higher among the ≥15 years age group (69.2%), while the 5-9 years age group had the least infection rate (47.2%). The study observed that the highest prevalence (62.0%) was recorded in Kafinchiri Primary School; this might be due to the influence of the water body in the community. The predisposition factors include gender, as males recorded the higher prevalence, which might be related to the economic activities such as irrigation, fishing, and laundry occurring in the riverine area. Age groups among the pupils had an impact on the prevalence of school absenteeism, and running away before closing hours is partially attributed to recreational activities, including swimming. Maintaining a safe distance between schools and water bodies and limiting frequent visits to the riverine area is crucial. The use of personal protective clothing and prompt treatment of infected persons should be encouraged to curtail the infection.