Chronic Illnesses and Student Academic Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31584/jhsmr.2020738Keywords:
academic performance, chronic illness, identification, interventionAbstract
Innovations in healthcare have improved survival in children with illnesses previously considered fatal. Chronic illnesses in school-age children are increasing significantly, and these children are at higher risk for school problems than their healthy peers. To review the state of research on the impact of chronic illnesses on student academic performance, we reviewed original studies that investigated the relationship of child development, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement with common chronic illnesses. Research reveals evidence that chronic illnesses have both direct (educational impacts) and indirect (social and psychological impacts) impacts on education. Specifically, epilepsy, asthma, diabetes mellitus, cancer, congenital heart diseases, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection affect student achievement and some specific areas of cognitive ability. Success at school for the chronically ill student requires the coordinated efforts of educators, parents, students, and medical professionals. This review also proposes ways to assess and assist children with chronic illnesses in different educational settings. Hospital schooling, homebound instruction, and school-based interventions are examined. The critical aspects of each educational service are discussed with recommendations for educators and healthcare practitioners.
References
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2. van der Lee JH, Mokkink LB, Grootenhuis MA, Heymans HS, Offringa M. Definitions and measurement of chronic health conditions in childhood: a systematic review. JAMA 2007;297:2741–51.
3. Van Cleave J, Gortmaker SL, Perrin JM. Dynamics of obesity and chronic health conditions among children and youth. JAMA 2010;303;623–30.
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5. Martinez YJ, Ercikan K. Chronic illnesses in Canadian children: what is the effect of illness on academic achievement, and anxiety and emotional disorders?. Child Care Health Dev 2009;35:391–401.
6. Martinez W, Carter JS, Legato LJ. Social competence in children with chronic illness: a meta-analytic review. J Pediatr Psychol 2011;36:878-90.
7. Sentenac M, Arnaud C, Gavin A, Molcho M, Gabhainn SN, Godeau E. Peer victimization among school-aged children with chronic conditions. Epidemiol Rev 2012;34:120–8.
8. Shaw SR, McCabe PC. Hospital-to-school transition for children with chronic illness: meeting the new challenges of an evolving health care system. Psychol Schs 2008;45:74–8.
9. Hilliard ME, McQuaid EL, Nabors L, Hood KK. Resilience in youth and families living with pediatric health and developmental conditions: introduction to the special issue on resilience. J Pediatr Psychol 2015;40:835-9.
10. Pao M, Ludi E. Psychosomatic symptoms in children with chronic medical illness; understanding pediatric psychopharmacology in the context of medical illness. Psychiatr Times 2011;33:1–5.
11. Cobham VE, Hickling A, Kimball H, Thomas HJ, Scott JG, Middeldorp CM. Systematic review: anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.10.010.
12. Green AE, Ferrand J, Aarons GA. Functioning among youth with comorbid mood disorder and chronic physical illness in public sector care. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2016;37:637-46.
13. Crump C, Rivera D, London R, Landau M, Erlendson B, Rodriguez E. Chronic health conditions and school performance among children and youth. Ann Epidemiol 2013;23: 179–84.
14. Thies KM. Identifying the educational implications of chronic illness in school children. J Sch Health 1999;69:392–7.
15. Emerson ND, Distelberg B, Morrell HE, Williams-Reade J, Tapanes D, Montgomery S. Quality of life and school absenteeism in children with chronic illness. J Sch Nurs 2016;32: 258-66
16. Shaw SR, Glaser SE, Stern M, Sferdenschi C, McCabe PC. Responding to student’s chronic illnesses. Principal Leadership 2010;26:12–6.
17. Compas BE, Jaser SS, Dunn MJ, Rodriguez EM. Coping with chronic illness in childhood and adolescence. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2012;8:455–80.
18. Wo SW, Ong LC, Low WY, Lai PSM. The impact of epilepsy on academic achievement in children with normal intelligence and without major comorbidities: s systematic review. Epilepsy Res 2017;136:35-45.
19. Reilly C, Neville BG. Academic achievement in children with epilepsy: a review. Epilepsy Res 2011;97:112–23.
20. Berg AT, Langfitt JT, Testa FM, Levy SR, DiMario F, Westerveld M, et al. Global cognitive function in children with epilepsy: a community based study. Epilepsia 2008;49:608–14.
21. Ellenberg JH, Hirtz DG, Nelson KB. Age of onset of seizures in young children. Ann Neurol 1984;15:127-34.
22. Murphy CC, Trevathan E, Yeargin-Allsopp M. Prevalence of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in 10-year-old children: results from the metropolitan Atlanta developmental disabilities study. Epilepsia 1995;36:866–72.
23. Sillanpää M, Jalava M, Kaleva O, Shinnar S. Long-term prognosis of seizures with onset in childhood. N Engl J Med 1998;338:1715–22.
24. Oostrom KJ, Smeets-Schouten A, Kruitwagen CL, Peters AC, Jennekens-Schinkel A. Not only a matter of epilepsy: early problems of cognition and behavior in children with ‘epilepsy only’ - a prospective controlled study starting at diagnosis. Pediatrics 2003;112:1338–44.
25. Barza L. Cognition and achievement in children with seizure disorders. Eur Sci J 2014;10:107–20.
26. García-Peñas JJ. Interictal epileptiform discharges and cognitive impairment in children. Rev Neurol 2011;52:S43–52.
27. Kim HG. Cognitive dysfunctions in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Yeungnam Univ J Med 2019;36:183-91.
28. Kodl CT, Seaquist ER. Cognitive dysfunction and diabetes mellitus. Endocr Rev 2008;29:494–511.
29. Holmes CS, O’Brien B, Greer T. Cognitive functioning and academic achievement in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). School Psychol Quart 1995;10:329– 44.
30. Tsakiris A, Iordanidou M, Paraskakis E, Tsalkidis A, Rigas A, Zimeras S, et al. The presence of asthma, the use of inhaled steroids, and parental education level affect school performance in children. Biomed Res Int 2013. doi: 10.1155/ 2013/762805.
31. Jolicoeur LM, Boyer JG, Reeder CE, Turner J. Influence of asthma or allergies on the utilization of health care resources and quality of life in college students. J Asthma 1994;31:251- 67.
32. Carpentier MY, Mullins LL, Van Pelt JC. Psychological, academic, and work functioning in college students with childhood-onset asthma. J Asthma 2007;44:119-24.
33. French AE, Tsangaris E, Barrera M, Guger S, Brown R, Urbach S, et al. School attendance in childhood cancer survivors and their siblings. J Pediatr 2013;162:160-5.
34. Campbell LK, Scaduto M, Sharp W, Dufton L, Van Slyke D, Whitlock JA, et al. A meta-analysis of the neurocognitive sequelae of treatment for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:65-73.
35. Iyer NS, Balsamo LM, Bracken MB, Kadan-Lottick NS. Chemotherapy-only treatment effects on long-term neurocognitive functioning in childhood ALL survivors: a review and meta-analysis. Blood 2015;126:346-53.
36. Harshman LA, Barron S, Button AM, Smith BJ, Link BK, Lynch CF, et al. Population-based exploration of academic achievement outcomes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors. J Pediatr Psychol 2012;37:458-66.
37. Todaro JF, Fennell EB, Sears SF, Rodrigue JR, Roche AK. Review: cognitive and psychological outcomes in pediatric heart transplantation. J Pediatr Psychol 2000;25: 567-76.
38. Pierpont ME, Basson CT, Benson DW Jr, Gelb BD, Giglia TM, Goldmuntz E, et al. Genetic basis for congenital heart defects: current knowledge: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young: endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Circulation 2007;115:3015–38.
39. Wright M, Nolan T. Impact of cyanotic heart disease on school performance. Arch Dis Child 1994;71:64-70.
40. Wray J, Long T, Radley-Smith R, Yacoub M. Returning to school after heart or heart-lung transplantation: how well do children adjust?. Transplantation 2001;72:100–6.
41. Blanchette N, Smith ML, King S, Fernandes-Penney A, Read S. Cognitive development in school-age children with vertically transmitted HIV infection. Dev Neuropsychol 2002;21:223- 41.
42. Smith R, Chernoff M, Williams PL, Malee KM, Sirois PA, Kammerer B, et al. Impact of HIV severity on cognitive and adaptive functioning during childhood and adolescence. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2012;31:592–8.
43. Nichols SL, Chernoff MC, Malee K, Sirois PA, Williams PL, Figueroa V, et al. Learning and memory in children and adolescents with perinatal HIV infection and perinatal HIV exposure. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2016;35:649-54.
44. Stille CJ, Antonelli RC. Coordination of care for children with special health care needs. Curr Opin Pediatr 2004;16: 700-5.
45. Palfrey JS, Sofis LA, Davidson EJ, Liu J, Freeman L, Ganz ML. The Pediatric Alliance for Coordinated Care: evaluation of a medical home model. Pediatrics 2004;113:1507–16.
46. Bethell CD, Read D, Neff J, Blumberg SJ, Stein RE, Sharp V, et al. Comparison of the children with special health care needs screener to the questionnaire for identifying children with chronic conditions--revised. Ambul Pediatr 2002;2:49–57.
47. Rolnick SJ, Flores SK, Paulsen KJ, Thorson S. Identification of children with special health care needs within a managed care setting. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:273-8.
48. Shiu S. Issues in the education of students with chronic illness. Int J Disabil Dev Edu 2001;48:269–81.
49. Ris MD, Beebe DW. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with low-grade gliomas. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2008;14:196–202.
50. Capurso M. Children with chronic illness in school. Difficoltà di apprendimento 2006;12:51–70.
51. Sexson S, Madan-Swain A. The chronically ill child in the school. Sch Psychol Q 1995;10:359-68.
52. Worchel-Prevatt FF, Heffer RW, Prevatt BC, Miner J, YoungSaleme T, Horgan D, et al. A school reentry program for chronically ill children. J Sch Psychol 1998;36:261-79.
53. Rynard DW, Chambers A, Klinck AM, Gray JD. School support programs for chronically ill children: evaluating adjustment of children with cancer at school. J Child Health Care 1998;27:31–46.
54. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Children with Disabilities. Provision of educationally related services for children and adolescents with chronic diseases and disabling conditions. Pediatrics 2000;105:448-51.
55. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Children with Disabilities. Provision of educationally related services for children and adolescents with chronic diseases and disabling conditions. Pediatrics 2007;119:1218-23.
56. Shaw SR, Clyde MAJ, Sarrasin M. Homebound instruction for students with chronic illness: reducing risk outside of the box. Health Psychology Report 2014;2:1–9.
57. Covic AN, Kanemoto E, Bastos AC. Effectiveness of a hospital school mathematics literacy program. Stud Health Technol Inform 2012;172:168–73.
58. Goldfeld S, O’Connor M, Sayers M, Moore T, Oberklaid F. Prevalence and correlates of special health care needs in a population cohort of Australian children at school entry. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2012;33:319-27.
59. Quach J, Barnett T. Impact of chronic illness timing and persistence at school entry on child and parent outcomes: Australian Longitudinal Study. Acad Pediatr 2015;15:89–95.
60. O’Connor M, Howell-Meurs S, Kvalsvig A, Goldfeld S. Understanding the impact of special health care needs on early school functioning: a conceptual model. Child Care Health Dev 2015;41:15-22.
61. Ng CY, Thomas-Uribe M, Yang YA, Chu MC, Liu SD, Pulendran UP, et al. Theory-based health behavior interventions for pediatric chronic disease management: a systematic review. JAMA Pediatr 2018;172:1177-86.
2. van der Lee JH, Mokkink LB, Grootenhuis MA, Heymans HS, Offringa M. Definitions and measurement of chronic health conditions in childhood: a systematic review. JAMA 2007;297:2741–51.
3. Van Cleave J, Gortmaker SL, Perrin JM. Dynamics of obesity and chronic health conditions among children and youth. JAMA 2010;303;623–30.
4. Mokkink LB, van der Lee JH, Grootenhuis MA, Offringa M, van Praag BMS, Heymans HSA. Omvang en gevolgen van chronische aandoeningen bij kinderen. Tijdschr Kindergeneeskd 2007;75:154–8.
5. Martinez YJ, Ercikan K. Chronic illnesses in Canadian children: what is the effect of illness on academic achievement, and anxiety and emotional disorders?. Child Care Health Dev 2009;35:391–401.
6. Martinez W, Carter JS, Legato LJ. Social competence in children with chronic illness: a meta-analytic review. J Pediatr Psychol 2011;36:878-90.
7. Sentenac M, Arnaud C, Gavin A, Molcho M, Gabhainn SN, Godeau E. Peer victimization among school-aged children with chronic conditions. Epidemiol Rev 2012;34:120–8.
8. Shaw SR, McCabe PC. Hospital-to-school transition for children with chronic illness: meeting the new challenges of an evolving health care system. Psychol Schs 2008;45:74–8.
9. Hilliard ME, McQuaid EL, Nabors L, Hood KK. Resilience in youth and families living with pediatric health and developmental conditions: introduction to the special issue on resilience. J Pediatr Psychol 2015;40:835-9.
10. Pao M, Ludi E. Psychosomatic symptoms in children with chronic medical illness; understanding pediatric psychopharmacology in the context of medical illness. Psychiatr Times 2011;33:1–5.
11. Cobham VE, Hickling A, Kimball H, Thomas HJ, Scott JG, Middeldorp CM. Systematic review: anxiety in children and adolescents with chronic medical conditions. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2019. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.10.010.
12. Green AE, Ferrand J, Aarons GA. Functioning among youth with comorbid mood disorder and chronic physical illness in public sector care. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2016;37:637-46.
13. Crump C, Rivera D, London R, Landau M, Erlendson B, Rodriguez E. Chronic health conditions and school performance among children and youth. Ann Epidemiol 2013;23: 179–84.
14. Thies KM. Identifying the educational implications of chronic illness in school children. J Sch Health 1999;69:392–7.
15. Emerson ND, Distelberg B, Morrell HE, Williams-Reade J, Tapanes D, Montgomery S. Quality of life and school absenteeism in children with chronic illness. J Sch Nurs 2016;32: 258-66
16. Shaw SR, Glaser SE, Stern M, Sferdenschi C, McCabe PC. Responding to student’s chronic illnesses. Principal Leadership 2010;26:12–6.
17. Compas BE, Jaser SS, Dunn MJ, Rodriguez EM. Coping with chronic illness in childhood and adolescence. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2012;8:455–80.
18. Wo SW, Ong LC, Low WY, Lai PSM. The impact of epilepsy on academic achievement in children with normal intelligence and without major comorbidities: s systematic review. Epilepsy Res 2017;136:35-45.
19. Reilly C, Neville BG. Academic achievement in children with epilepsy: a review. Epilepsy Res 2011;97:112–23.
20. Berg AT, Langfitt JT, Testa FM, Levy SR, DiMario F, Westerveld M, et al. Global cognitive function in children with epilepsy: a community based study. Epilepsia 2008;49:608–14.
21. Ellenberg JH, Hirtz DG, Nelson KB. Age of onset of seizures in young children. Ann Neurol 1984;15:127-34.
22. Murphy CC, Trevathan E, Yeargin-Allsopp M. Prevalence of epilepsy and epileptic seizures in 10-year-old children: results from the metropolitan Atlanta developmental disabilities study. Epilepsia 1995;36:866–72.
23. Sillanpää M, Jalava M, Kaleva O, Shinnar S. Long-term prognosis of seizures with onset in childhood. N Engl J Med 1998;338:1715–22.
24. Oostrom KJ, Smeets-Schouten A, Kruitwagen CL, Peters AC, Jennekens-Schinkel A. Not only a matter of epilepsy: early problems of cognition and behavior in children with ‘epilepsy only’ - a prospective controlled study starting at diagnosis. Pediatrics 2003;112:1338–44.
25. Barza L. Cognition and achievement in children with seizure disorders. Eur Sci J 2014;10:107–20.
26. García-Peñas JJ. Interictal epileptiform discharges and cognitive impairment in children. Rev Neurol 2011;52:S43–52.
27. Kim HG. Cognitive dysfunctions in individuals with diabetes mellitus. Yeungnam Univ J Med 2019;36:183-91.
28. Kodl CT, Seaquist ER. Cognitive dysfunction and diabetes mellitus. Endocr Rev 2008;29:494–511.
29. Holmes CS, O’Brien B, Greer T. Cognitive functioning and academic achievement in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). School Psychol Quart 1995;10:329– 44.
30. Tsakiris A, Iordanidou M, Paraskakis E, Tsalkidis A, Rigas A, Zimeras S, et al. The presence of asthma, the use of inhaled steroids, and parental education level affect school performance in children. Biomed Res Int 2013. doi: 10.1155/ 2013/762805.
31. Jolicoeur LM, Boyer JG, Reeder CE, Turner J. Influence of asthma or allergies on the utilization of health care resources and quality of life in college students. J Asthma 1994;31:251- 67.
32. Carpentier MY, Mullins LL, Van Pelt JC. Psychological, academic, and work functioning in college students with childhood-onset asthma. J Asthma 2007;44:119-24.
33. French AE, Tsangaris E, Barrera M, Guger S, Brown R, Urbach S, et al. School attendance in childhood cancer survivors and their siblings. J Pediatr 2013;162:160-5.
34. Campbell LK, Scaduto M, Sharp W, Dufton L, Van Slyke D, Whitlock JA, et al. A meta-analysis of the neurocognitive sequelae of treatment for childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:65-73.
35. Iyer NS, Balsamo LM, Bracken MB, Kadan-Lottick NS. Chemotherapy-only treatment effects on long-term neurocognitive functioning in childhood ALL survivors: a review and meta-analysis. Blood 2015;126:346-53.
36. Harshman LA, Barron S, Button AM, Smith BJ, Link BK, Lynch CF, et al. Population-based exploration of academic achievement outcomes in pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia survivors. J Pediatr Psychol 2012;37:458-66.
37. Todaro JF, Fennell EB, Sears SF, Rodrigue JR, Roche AK. Review: cognitive and psychological outcomes in pediatric heart transplantation. J Pediatr Psychol 2000;25: 567-76.
38. Pierpont ME, Basson CT, Benson DW Jr, Gelb BD, Giglia TM, Goldmuntz E, et al. Genetic basis for congenital heart defects: current knowledge: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Congenital Cardiac Defects Committee, Council on Cardiovascular Disease in the Young: endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Circulation 2007;115:3015–38.
39. Wright M, Nolan T. Impact of cyanotic heart disease on school performance. Arch Dis Child 1994;71:64-70.
40. Wray J, Long T, Radley-Smith R, Yacoub M. Returning to school after heart or heart-lung transplantation: how well do children adjust?. Transplantation 2001;72:100–6.
41. Blanchette N, Smith ML, King S, Fernandes-Penney A, Read S. Cognitive development in school-age children with vertically transmitted HIV infection. Dev Neuropsychol 2002;21:223- 41.
42. Smith R, Chernoff M, Williams PL, Malee KM, Sirois PA, Kammerer B, et al. Impact of HIV severity on cognitive and adaptive functioning during childhood and adolescence. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2012;31:592–8.
43. Nichols SL, Chernoff MC, Malee K, Sirois PA, Williams PL, Figueroa V, et al. Learning and memory in children and adolescents with perinatal HIV infection and perinatal HIV exposure. Pediatr Infect Dis J 2016;35:649-54.
44. Stille CJ, Antonelli RC. Coordination of care for children with special health care needs. Curr Opin Pediatr 2004;16: 700-5.
45. Palfrey JS, Sofis LA, Davidson EJ, Liu J, Freeman L, Ganz ML. The Pediatric Alliance for Coordinated Care: evaluation of a medical home model. Pediatrics 2004;113:1507–16.
46. Bethell CD, Read D, Neff J, Blumberg SJ, Stein RE, Sharp V, et al. Comparison of the children with special health care needs screener to the questionnaire for identifying children with chronic conditions--revised. Ambul Pediatr 2002;2:49–57.
47. Rolnick SJ, Flores SK, Paulsen KJ, Thorson S. Identification of children with special health care needs within a managed care setting. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2003;157:273-8.
48. Shiu S. Issues in the education of students with chronic illness. Int J Disabil Dev Edu 2001;48:269–81.
49. Ris MD, Beebe DW. Neurodevelopmental outcomes of children with low-grade gliomas. Dev Disabil Res Rev 2008;14:196–202.
50. Capurso M. Children with chronic illness in school. Difficoltà di apprendimento 2006;12:51–70.
51. Sexson S, Madan-Swain A. The chronically ill child in the school. Sch Psychol Q 1995;10:359-68.
52. Worchel-Prevatt FF, Heffer RW, Prevatt BC, Miner J, YoungSaleme T, Horgan D, et al. A school reentry program for chronically ill children. J Sch Psychol 1998;36:261-79.
53. Rynard DW, Chambers A, Klinck AM, Gray JD. School support programs for chronically ill children: evaluating adjustment of children with cancer at school. J Child Health Care 1998;27:31–46.
54. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Children with Disabilities. Provision of educationally related services for children and adolescents with chronic diseases and disabling conditions. Pediatrics 2000;105:448-51.
55. American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Children with Disabilities. Provision of educationally related services for children and adolescents with chronic diseases and disabling conditions. Pediatrics 2007;119:1218-23.
56. Shaw SR, Clyde MAJ, Sarrasin M. Homebound instruction for students with chronic illness: reducing risk outside of the box. Health Psychology Report 2014;2:1–9.
57. Covic AN, Kanemoto E, Bastos AC. Effectiveness of a hospital school mathematics literacy program. Stud Health Technol Inform 2012;172:168–73.
58. Goldfeld S, O’Connor M, Sayers M, Moore T, Oberklaid F. Prevalence and correlates of special health care needs in a population cohort of Australian children at school entry. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2012;33:319-27.
59. Quach J, Barnett T. Impact of chronic illness timing and persistence at school entry on child and parent outcomes: Australian Longitudinal Study. Acad Pediatr 2015;15:89–95.
60. O’Connor M, Howell-Meurs S, Kvalsvig A, Goldfeld S. Understanding the impact of special health care needs on early school functioning: a conceptual model. Child Care Health Dev 2015;41:15-22.
61. Ng CY, Thomas-Uribe M, Yang YA, Chu MC, Liu SD, Pulendran UP, et al. Theory-based health behavior interventions for pediatric chronic disease management: a systematic review. JAMA Pediatr 2018;172:1177-86.
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2020-05-01
How to Cite
1.
Thongseiratch T, Chandeying N. Chronic Illnesses and Student Academic Performance. J Health Sci Med Res [Internet]. 2020 May 1 [cited 2024 Dec. 23];38(3):245-53. Available from: https://he01.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/jhsmr/article/view/244172
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