School Performance: A Matter of Health or Socio-Economic Background? Findings from the PIAMA Birth Cohort Study

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134780
• Publication Date: 2015-08-06T17:57:52Z
• Authors: Annemarie Ruijsbroek; Alet H. Wijga; Ulrike Gehring; Marjan Kerkhof; Mariël Droomers
• Keywords: Male; Parents; STUDENT PERFORMANCE; Science; Health Status; CHILDREN; ACADEMIC-PERFORMANCE; Cohort Studies; MULTIPLE IMPUTATION; 03 medical and health sciences; ACHIEVEMENT; 0302 clinical medicine; Surveys and Questionnaires; Humans; Child; OVERWEIGHT; Schools; 4. Education; Q; R; EDUCATION; Achievement; PREVENTION; 3. Good health; Social Class; OBESITY; ASTHMA; Medicine; Female; Research Article

Background Performance in primary school is a determinant of children's educational attainment and their socio-economic position health inequalities adulthood. We examined the relationship between five common childhood conditions (asthma symptoms, eczema, general health, frequent respiratory infections, overweight), related absence family status on performance. Methods used data from 1,865 children Dutch PIAMA birth cohort study. School performance was measured as teacher's assessment suitable secondary level for child, child's score standardized achievement test (Cito Test). Both indicators were standardised using Z-scores. Childhood indicated by asthma overweight, absence. Children's reported repeatedly age one to eleven. absenteeism at Highest attained mother father status. linear regression models with heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors our analyses adjustment sex child. Results The study not associated performance, independently parental level, exception symptoms (-0.03 z-score / -0.04 Cito Test after adjusting respectively maternal paternal education) missing more than 5 schooldays due illness (-0.18 -0.17 education). effect estimates these much smaller though education, which strongly Conclusion affected only slightly number problems, but education.