title: Health-Related Factors Associated with Discrepancies between Children's Potential and Attained Secondary School Level: A Longitudinal Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This longitudinal study examines children's health-related characteristics in relation to discrepancies between their educational potential assessed by a cognitive test in primary school at age 11 and their attained secondary school level at age 14.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were used from 1510 participants of the Dutch PIAMA (Prevention and Incidence of Asthma and Mite Allergy) birth cohort. Multiple multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the associations between indicators of physical health, psychosocial health, lifestyle, sleeping patterns and stressful life events and attending a higher or lower level of secondary education than indicated by the cognitive test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found no evidence that physical health contributes to discrepancies between the potential and attained level of secondary education, but attention disorders and stressful life events (nasty experiences and parents' divorce) were associated with educational attainment below children's potential level. Furthermore, substance use (alcohol, drugs and smoking) were strongly associated with attending a lower level of secondary education than expected (odds ratios from 2.2 (CI: 1.5-3.3) to 5.0 (CI: 2.8-8.7)).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this general population study, attention disorders, stressful life events and especially substance use seemed to be more important than physical health for the discrepancy between expected and attained level of secondary education. The longitudinal design of the present study and the broad range of health-related factors that were studied, adds insights to the process of health-selection.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, BA Bilthoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van der Heide
authors.affiliation: Division Environmental Epidemiology, Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gehring
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Pediatric Allergology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Beatrix Children's Hospital, GRIAC Research Institute, Groningen, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gerard H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Koppelman
authors.affiliation: Centre for Nutrition, Prevention and health Services, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, BA Bilthoven, Netherlands.
authors.forename: Alet H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Wijga
mesh_terms: D000124:Achievement; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008019:Life Style; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents; D012574:Schools; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders