title: Sick and still at school: an empirical study of sickness presence among students in Norwegian secondary school.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper investigates sickness presence (SP) among students. The research questions asked are: What is the distribution of SP among students in Norwegian secondary school? What characterises students with high SP in Norwegian secondary schools?
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey conducted in 10th grade in lower secondary school (LSS) and level 2 in upper secondary school (USS). The study was conducted using multivariate binomial logistic regression analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The survey was administered to 66 schools, and 2 or 3 classes participated at each school. The response rate was 84% in LSS (n=1880) and 81% in USS (n=1160).
  
  
  METHODS
  The paper provides information about the distribution of SP in secondary schools. The paper also examines which factors influence high SP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  75% of students in LSS and 80% of students in USS reported SP in the previous school year. 24% of students in LSS and 33% of students in USS reported high SP (4 episodes or more). Students with high absence from school were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.7, ORUSS=2.0) than those with low/no absence. Girls were more likely to report high SP (ORLSS=1.5, ORUSS=1.5) than boys. In LSS, students with high school motivation reported high SP more often than students with low/medium motivation. In USS, students in vocational studies programmes reported high SP more often than students in general/academic studies programmes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Some SP during a school year may be more common than no SP. Gender, absence, motivation and education programme were important factors for high SP in secondary school.
authors.affiliation: Eastern Norway Research Institute/Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Vegard
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Johansen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D000069597:Presenteeism / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012574:Schools; D018582:Sick Leave / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: PUBLIC HEALTH; SOCIAL MEDICINE; STATISTICS & RESEARCH METHODS