School attendance and juvenile chronic arthritis.
We studied the school attendance of 113 children and adolescents (mean age 11 yr, S.D. 3.8, range 3-18 yr) with juvenile chronic arthritis (73 with pauci- and 40 with polyarthritis). The mean attendance rate for the group was 92% (equivalent to 15 absent days a year) with a median of 97%. Attendance was significantly lower in the more severely affected poly group (90% vs 98% in the pauci group; P = 0.03). We found associations of school absence (i) with decreased compliance with physical treatments (r = -0.35, P < 0.05 for compliance with physiotherapy) in the poly group and (ii) with child psychological deviance (r = 0.36 for parentally rated and r = 0.42 for teacher-rated psychological deviance; both P < 0.05) in the pauci group. We conclude that school attendance can be good in severely affected children. Severity of illness, treatment compliance and psychological problems in the child may affect school attendance.
Sturge
C
C
Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow, London.
Garralda
M E
ME
Boissin
M
M
Doré
C J
CJ
Woo
P
P
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D001171:Arthritis, Juvenile / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004493:Education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology; D012574:Schools; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data