title: Socioeconomic and health factors associated with kindergarten retention in Australian children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to identify key socioeconomic and health factors that are associated with a child's likelihood of being retained in kindergarten prior to commencing first year of school in Australian children.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data linked from the School Entrant Health Questionnaire administered to children commencing school in 2012 (N = 42 002). Kindergarten retention here is defined by children accessing a second year of funded kindergarten prior to commencing school. We used logistic regression analysis to estimate the strength of associations between a range of socioeconomic and health factors to the likelihood of kindergarten retention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 25 289 children included in our analysis, 903 (3.6%) had a second year of funded kindergarten prior to commencing school. In comparison, 1680 children out of 42 002 in the Kinder-School Entrant Health Questionnaire dataset had a second year of funded kindergarten (4.0%). From our final regression model, the highest association was found in children whose parents reported a history of speech and language difficulties (odds ratio 2.25, 95% confidence interval (1.91-2.66)) (adjusting for a range of demographic, health and developmental factors). Similarly, children from an indigenous background were twice as likely to be retained in kindergarten compared with those with a non-indigenous background (odds ratio 2.06 (1.17-3.64)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This analysis adds to the evidence base that children who are more socially disadvantaged as well as children with health difficulties, particularly speech and language difficulties, are more likely to be retained in kindergarten.
authors.affiliation: The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.affiliation: The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Shae
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, and Training, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Proimos
authors.affiliation: Department of Education, and Training, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Batterham
authors.affiliation: The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.affiliation: The Jack Brockhoff Child Health & Wellbeing Program, Centre for Health Equity, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Waters
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D002654:Child Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D002656:Child Day Care Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000067576:Child Health; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D016208:Databases, Factual; D002658:Developmental Disabilities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014739:Victoria
keywords: health factor; kindergarten; retention; socioeconomic