Health-Related School Absenteeism Among US School-Age Children With Chronic Health and Social Needs

In the context of historically high rates of chronic school absenteeism, to what degree are chronic health and health-related social needs (HRSNs) associated with elevated health-related school absenteeism?In this cross-sectional study of a nationally representative sample of US school-aged children, the estimated probability of elevated health-related school absenteeism was higher among those with either chronic health needs (4.4%) or HRSNs (3.7%) and highest among those with both (9.4%) compared to children with neither (1.8%); these results were statistically significant.Health systems may have an important role in addressing chronic absenteeism through targeted interventions that prioritize children with chronic health conditions and HRSNs.

Corresponding Author: Michelle Shankar, MD, MHS, Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 3411 Wayne Ave, 8th Floor, Bronx, NY 10467 (mshankar@montefiore.org).

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