Elementary school achievement and absence due to illness

Area of Science:

• Educational Psychology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health

Background:

• Student absenteeism due to illness is a common concern in educational settings.
• Understanding the impact of illness-related absences on academic performance is crucial for developing supportive school policies.
• Previous research has explored factors influencing school performance, but the specific interplay with illness absence, grade level, sex, and birth season requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of illness-related school absence on academic performance.
• To determine if grade level, sex, or season of birth modifies the relationship between illness absence and school performance.
• To analyze correlations between spring absence due to illness and teacher-assigned grades in verbal and arithmetic performance.

Main Methods:

• Correlational analysis of data from 598 pupils born in 1947, with records from 1st through 6th grades.
• Examination of spring absence due to illness in grades 2 through 6.
• Assessment of teacher-assigned grades for verbal and arithmetic performance during the same spring periods.

Main Results:

• Significant negative correlations were observed between spring absence due to illness and both arithmetic and verbal performance in the 5th and 6th grades.
• Subgroup analyses indicated significant correlations for girls in 5th grade and boys in 6th grade.
• These significant correlations were predominantly found in girls and boys born during the first half of the year.

Conclusions:

• Illness-related school absence is negatively associated with academic performance in later elementary grades.
• The impact of illness absence on performance shows variations based on grade level and sex.
• Season of birth may also play a role in moderating the relationship between illness absence and academic outcomes.