The Cumulative Effect of Health Adversities on Children's Later Academic Achievement

Abstract

Objective We aimed to determine whether the accumulation of physical, psychosocial, and combined health adversities measured at age 8 to 9 years predicts worsening of academic scores cross-sectionally at 8 to 9 and longitudinally at 10 to 11 years. Methods Design: Longitudinal data from Waves 3 and 4 in the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (83% of 4983 retained). Exposures (8–9 years): Physical health adversities (yes/no; summed range, 0–5): overweight, special health care needs, chronic illness, PedsQL Physical, and global health. Psychosocial health adversities (yes/no; summed range, 0–4): parent- and teacher-reported behavior, PedsQL Psychosocial, sleep problems. Combined health ..