School attendance in children with Type 1 diabetes.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether children with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) miss more school than their non-DM siblings and peers and to identify factors associated with school absenteeism in children with DM.


METHODS
School absenteeism data for the 2000-01 school year were obtained for 78 children with DM, 38 non-DM siblings and 118,269 age-matched peers in Toronto, Ontario. Questionnaires and hospital records were utilized to evaluate child-, family- and diabetes-related factors associated with school absenteeism in children with DM.


RESULTS
Children with DM missed only slightly, albeit significantly more school than both their non-DM siblings (mean +/-sd: 10.9 +/- 8.9 vs. 8.1 +/- 8.1 days, P < 0.001) and peers (median: 8.8 vs. 5.5 days, P = 0.0005). A multiple regression analysis indicated that school absenteeism in children with DM was associated with their parents' attitudes towards school attendance (P = 0.002), poorer metabolic control (P = 0.006), shorter disease duration (P = 0.006) and a lack of aggressive behaviour (P = 0.02).


CONCLUSIONS
With current management strategies, near normal school attendance is a reasonable goal for all children with DM and should be strongly encouraged by parents, educators and health care professionals.
Glaab
L A
LA
Division of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children and the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Brown
R
R
Daneman
D
D
D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D017668:Age of Onset; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000523:psychology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D011594:Psychometrics; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*