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Infectious morbidity and white blood cell count associated with grade repetition and school absenteeism

Eduardo Villamor1, Rachael J Beer1, Allison L Seeley1

  • 1Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Acta Paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)
|November 21, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Childhood infections increase the risk of grade repetition and school absenteeism. Elevated white blood cells (WBC) also correlate with these adverse educational outcomes, highlighting the impact of infection and inflammation on children's learning.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Educational Psychology

Background:

  • Childhood infections are known to affect cognitive development.
  • The specific impact of infections on educational outcomes like grade repetition and school absenteeism remains under-researched.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between infectious morbidity and inflammatory biomarkers with grade repetition and school absenteeism in children.
  • To determine the extent to which school absenteeism mediates the relationship between infections and grade repetition.

Main Methods:

  • A prospective cohort study followed 2762 Colombian children aged 5-12 years for one school year.
  • Infectious incidence (gastrointestinal, respiratory, ear), inflammatory biomarkers (white blood cells), and school absenteeism were recorded.
  • Adjusted relative risks (ARR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for grade repetition and absenteeism.

Main Results:

  • Infectious morbidity significantly increased the risk of grade repetition (ARRs ranging from 2.17 to 2.57).
  • Infections were also associated with increased school absenteeism, mediating 31-38% of the grade repetition associations.
  • Elevated white blood cells (WBC), particularly granulocytes, were linked to higher risks of grade repetition and absenteeism.

Conclusions:

  • Childhood infections and elevated WBC are significant risk factors for grade repetition and school absenteeism.
  • While absenteeism plays a mediating role, it does not fully account for the impact of infections on grade repetition.
Abstract

Keywords:
childhood infectionsgastrointestinal morbiditygrade repetitiongrade retentiongranulocytesrespiratory infectionschool absenteeismwhite blood cells

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