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Asthma and school functioning

Publication: Health Reports 2010:21(4) www.statcan.gc.ca/healthreports

Authors: Dafna E. Kohen

Data: 1998/1999 National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth

With data from Statistics Canada's National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth, this study examined associations between asthma severity and three measures of school performance. Compared with children who did not have chronic conditions, those with asthma tended to perform less well, and those with the most severe asthma had the poorest outcomes. Children with the most severe asthma had the greatest odds of missing more than a week of school, but their low scores on standardized math and reading tests and poor mother-rated academic performance were not mediated by school absences. The use of educational services, however, appeared to mediate the associations.

Full article

For more information about this article, contact Dafna Kohen (1-613-951-3346; Dafna.Kohen@statcan.gc.ca), Health Analysis Division, Statistics Canada.