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School absence--a valid morbidity marker for asthma?
C McCowan1, F P Bryce, R G Neville
1University of Dundee, Tayside Centre for General Practice, Tayside.
Health Bulletin
|July 1, 1996
Summary
Children with asthma miss about one school day per term, a rate lower than previously thought. This absence may stem from clinic visits rather than asthma severity, questioning its use as a health indicator.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric respiratory health
- Epidemiology of childhood asthma
Background:
- School absence is often used as a proxy for childhood illness.
- Previous studies suggested higher absence rates for children with asthma.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify school absence in children with asthma compared to peers.
- To evaluate the reliability of school absence as a measure of asthma morbidity.
Main Methods:
- Case-control study involving 773 children with asthma and 773 controls.
- Data collected from school registers on absence episodes and days.
- Analysis considered asthma medication, symptoms, and deprivation index.
Main Results:
- Children with asthma on medication missed approximately one extra school day per term.
- Asthma severity did not correlate with increased school absence.
- Absence rates varied with socioeconomic deprivation but not asthma severity.
Conclusions:
- The observed school absence for childhood asthma is lower than previously reported.
- Absence may be linked to medical appointments, not solely asthma exacerbations.
- Re-evaluation of school absence as a reliable marker for childhood asthma morbidity is warranted.