title: Absence due to illness among toddlers in day-care centres in relation to child group structure.
abstract: The present work demonstrates a close association between illness-associated absence among children below 4 y of age in day-care, and the age-related composition of the child groups. The study, which spanned a 4 y period and is based on illness-related absence from day-care in a Stockholm suburb, shows that morbidity decreases significantly among young children as age-integration in the groups is intensified. Absence due to illness was most common in toddler groups of infants up to 3 y of age. Among sibling groups of children in the age range 0-6 y, illness-related absence was lower among toddlers compared to toddlers in age-separated groups, and significantly lower in extended sibling groups in the age range 0-12 y. Morbidity among children older than 3 y was not affected in the same way by group structure.
authors.affiliation: Sachs Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Karolinska Institute, Nynashamn, Sweden.
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Sennerstam
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003141:Communicable Diseases; D005260:Female; D006127:Group Structure; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013548:Sweden