title: Academic achievement and satisfaction in adolescents with CHD.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate academic achievement and satisfaction in adolescents with CHD. Study design Questionnaires were sent to all adolescents, aged between 17 and 20 years with CHD, currently treated at our hospital (n=326) in order to assess the patients' education and satisfaction with their academic career. Results were compared with the official community statistics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 207 patients completed the questionnaires (participation rate 63.5%), 113 boys and 94 girls; 50% had completed mandatory school at the highest, 37.3% at the middle, and 12.7% at the lowest educational level. The distribution in the general population was comparable: 57.6, 32.5, and 9.9%, respectively (p=0.8). Adolescents with severe CHD were less likely to attain a higher educational level than those with moderate or mild CHD (p=0.03 for school grades 7-9). None of the other examined medical or socio-demographic factors, such as socio-economic status, foreign language, severity of CHD, cyanosis, and open heart surgery, were found to be associated with lower educational attainment. After the mandatory 9 years of schooling, 21.4% (n=44) of the patients with CHD compared with 16.7% in the general population attended higher school levels heading towards university education (p=0.7). From the 165 patients who provided information on career satisfaction, 79% regarded their job or school situation as being their desired one without a difference for those with severe CHD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  School education in Swiss adolescents with CHD is very similar to the normal population. In addition, the majority of adolescents are satisfied with their educational career. This fact may be due to the good educational support provided during schooling.
authors.affiliation: 1Child Development Center,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Christina J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Schaefer
authors.affiliation: 2Pediatric Cardiology,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ricarda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hoop
authors.affiliation: 2Pediatric Cardiology,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schürch-Reith
authors.affiliation: 3Pediatric Cardiology,Ostschweizer Kinderspital,St. Gallen,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dominik
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Stambach
authors.affiliation: 2Pediatric Cardiology,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kretschmar
authors.affiliation: 2Pediatric Cardiology,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Bauersfeld
authors.affiliation: 1Child Development Center,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Latal
authors.affiliation: 4Childrens' Research Center,University Children's Hospital,Zurich,Switzerland.
authors.forename: Markus A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Landolt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D041923:Adolescent Development / Q000502:physiology*; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015995:Prevalence; D012574:Schools; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013557:Switzerland / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Congenital heart defect; academic achievement; adolescents; risk factors; satisfaction