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School Performance: A Matter of Health or Socio-Economic Background? Findings from the PIAMA Birth Cohort Study

Author

Listed:
  • Annemarie Ruijsbroek
  • Alet H Wijga
  • Ulrike Gehring
  • Marjan Kerkhof
  • Mariël Droomers

Abstract

Background: Performance in primary school is a determinant of children’s educational attainment and their socio-economic position and health inequalities in adulthood. We examined the relationship between five common childhood health conditions (asthma symptoms, eczema, general health, frequent respiratory infections, and overweight), health related school absence and family socio-economic status on children’s school performance. Methods: We used data from 1,865 children in the Dutch PIAMA birth cohort study. School performance was measured as the teacher’s assessment of a suitable secondary school level for the child, and the child’s score on a standardized achievement test (Cito Test). Both school performance indicators were standardised using Z-scores. Childhood health was indicated by eczema, asthma symptoms, general health, frequent respiratory infections, overweight, and health related school absence. Children’s health conditions were reported repeatedly between the age of one to eleven. School absenteeism was reported at age eleven. Highest attained educational level of the mother and father indicated family socio-economic status. We used linear regression models with heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors for our analyses with adjustment for sex of the child. Results: The health indicators used in our study were not associated with children’s school performance, independently from parental educational level, with the exception of asthma symptoms (-0.03 z-score / -0.04 z-score with Cito Test score after adjusting for respectively maternal and paternal education) and missing more than 5 schooldays due to illness (-0.18 z-score with Cito Test score and -0.17 z-score with school level assessment after adjustment for paternal education). The effect estimates for these health indicators were much smaller though than the effect estimates for parental education, which was strongly associated with children’s school performance. Conclusion: Children’s school performance was affected only slightly by a number of common childhood health problems, but was strongly associated with parental education.

Suggested Citation

  • Annemarie Ruijsbroek & Alet H Wijga & Ulrike Gehring & Marjan Kerkhof & Mariël Droomers, 2015. "School Performance: A Matter of Health or Socio-Economic Background? Findings from the PIAMA Birth Cohort Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(8), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0134780
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0134780
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Dominic Weinberg & Gonneke W J M Stevens & Catrin Finkenauer & Bert Brunekreef & Henriëtte A Smit & Alet H Wijga, 2019. "The pathways from parental and neighbourhood socioeconomic status to adolescent educational attainment: An examination of the role of cognitive ability, teacher assessment, and educational expectations," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 14(5), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Iris van der Heide & Ulrike Gehring & Gerard H Koppelman & Alet H Wijga, 2016. "Health-Related Factors Associated with Discrepancies between Children’s Potential and Attained Secondary School Level: A Longitudinal Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(12), pages 1-13, December.

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