Early Predictors of School Absenteeism in First-Grade Children: A Multidimensional Longitudinal Study in Japan

Area of Science:

• Childhood development
• Educational psychology
• Public health

Background:

• Continuous schooling and healthy learning are vital for child development.
• Childhood absenteeism poses a risk to academic progress and well-being.
• Understanding risk factors is key to supporting at-risk students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine longitudinal relationships between absenteeism and various factors in first-grade students.
• Investigate the impact of body mass index (BMI), lifestyle, physical fitness, academic performance, and school health room usage on absenteeism.
• Identify predictors of prolonged absenteeism (≥10 days) in elementary school children.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 453 first-grade students was analyzed using data from 2014-2021.
• Cox regression analysis identified characteristics associated with absenteeism.
• Independent variables included BMI, sleep, physical activity, screen time, fitness, grades, and health room use.

Main Results:

• Lower grade point average and higher frequency of health room use due to illness predicted absenteeism in both genders.
• For girls, physical activity (≥3 days/week) and sound sleep (≥6 days/week) were protective factors.
• Hazard ratios indicated significant associations for GPA and health room visits.

Conclusions:

• Monitoring first graders with low academic performance, frequent illness-related absences, poor sleep, and low physical activity is recommended.
• Targeted interventions and support for students facing school difficulties can mitigate absenteeism.
• Addressing lifestyle and academic factors early can improve school attendance and learning outcomes.