School Absenteeism Longer Than Two Weeks Is a Red Flag of Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders in Hospitalised Children and Adolescents
A Matched Cohort Study
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15713809 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Karen Console (0009-0000-4340-6391, University of Trieste, corresponding author), Giorgio Cozzi (0000-0002-6427-1366, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo), Giada Caiffa (University of Trieste), Sara Romano (0000-0001-5895-8412, University of Trieste), Giulia Gortani (0000-0002-2218-490X, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo), Andrea Clarici (0000-0002-1326-8765, University of Trieste), Egidio Barbi (0000-0002-6343-846X, University of Trieste), Elena Magni (0000-0001-5281-7926, IRCCS Materno Infantile Burlo Garofolo) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 11 |
| Issue | 6 |
| Pages | 613-613 |
| Publication date | 2024-05-21 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Children (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2227-9067 • E-ISSN: 2227-9067 |
| Publisher | Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH) |
| DOI | 10.3390/children11060613 |
| PMID | 38929193 |
| OpenAlex | W4398170834 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 1 |
Chronic school absenteeism is a common problem in childhood and adolescence, and it is frequently observed in patients with somatic symptom and related disorders (SSRDs). This study aimed to determine whether and to what extent the presence of school absenteeism may be a risk factor for the diagnosis of SSRDs in hospitalised patients. This matched cohort study included children and adolescents aged between 8 and 17 years, admitted to the paediatric ward of the IRCCS Burlo Garofolo in Trieste from 2021 to 2023, who were divided into two groups, the first including children with at least 15 days of absence from school for medical reasons and the second including children with regular school attendance, matched to the former group by age and sex. We consecutively enrolled 70 patients, 35 in the absentee group and 35 in the control group. In the absentee group, 30/35 (85.7%) patients were diagnosed with an SSRD, while in the control group, 1/35 (2.9%) was diagnosed with an SSRD. The absentee group had a 30-fold higher risk of being diagnosed with SSRDs than the control group (RR = 30 [95% CI = 4.3-208]; p < 0.001). This study shows that in hospitalised children, a history of school absenteeism of more than two weeks is an important risk factor for the diagnosis of SSRDs
Absenteeism · Attendance · Cohort · Cohort study · Physical therapy · Risk factor · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life · Medicine · Youth Substance Use and School Attendance · Internal Medicine · Pediatrics
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2025 (1) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |