Impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis on schooling

Abstract

BackgroundJuvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is the most common arthropathy of childhood. Different diseases affect school attendance to varying degrees. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) on Moroccan children’s schooling.MethodsThirty-three children with JIA were included in this study, having been previously diagnosed according to the classification criteria of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR). Seventy-four healthy children were recruited to serve as controls. Data was obtained for all children on their school level, educational performance, and attendance. The rate of absenteeism due to health complications was noted.ResultsAll healthy children were able to attend school (p<0.0001), while 33% of children with JIA were unable to attend school due to their condition. The students with JIA who were able to attend school were absent much more often than controls (63% compared to 20%), with a highly significant p value (p<0.0001). Slightly less than half of the JIA patients (48.5%) failed in their schooling. In univariate analysis, there was an association between absenteeism and tender joints (p=0.02), disease activity score (DAS28) (p=0.007), Childhood Health Assessment Questionnaire (CHAQ) (p=0.01), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (p=0.03). In multivariate analysis, the only association persisted between DAS28 and absenteeism.ConclusionsOur study suggested that the schooling of children with JIA was negatively impacted due to the disorder. More studies, with a larger sample of children, are needed to confirm our findings.

Key Educational Factors in the education of students with a medical condition

“…Ireys () estimated that there are more than 200 different types of chronic illnesses that may affect school‐aged children (e.g., cancer, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, cystic fibrosis, chronic pain, sleep disorders, asthma, diabetes, haemophilia and HIV, and cardiac conditions. Billings, Moos, Miller and Gottlieb, ; Bouaddi et al, ; Colegrove and Huntzinger, ; Everhart, ; Fowler, Johnson, Welshimer, Atkinson and Loda, ; Getch, Bhukhanwala and Neuharth‐Pritchett, ; Gorodzinsky, Hainsworth and Weisman, ; Grieve et al, ; Kirkpatrick, ; McLoone, Wakefield, Butow, Fleming and Cohn, Moonie, Sterling, Figgs, and Castro, #5462). In addition to this plethora of illnesses, research on children with medical conditions covers three additional educational mediators and moderators: country specific culture (e.g., typical social network support, socioeconomic status, psychosocial environment) and support services (e.g., school psychologists, counsellors, and hospital teachers) (Barraclough and Machek, ; Fowler, Davenport and Garg, ; Harila‐Saari et al, ; St Leger, ), age (i.e., primary school and middle/high school aged children (Getch et al, ; Grieve et al, ; Grootenhuis and Last, ; Jackson, ; McLoone et al, ; Taylor, Gibson and Franck, ), and type of school service provided (i.e., home, hospital, mainstream schooling, school re‐entry.…”

Fatigue in patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis: relationship to perceived health, physical health, self-efficacy, and participation

“…Physical activity and exercise capacity are impaired in patients with JIA [15–18] but the extent to which these factors contribute to fatigue has not been studied. Data concerning the consequences of fatigue suggest that school attendance and participation in leisure activities are negatively affected by JIA [11, 19, 20]. One study showed normal school attendance [21].…”

Patient‐Reported Barriers at School for Children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis

“…Abdul‐Sattar, Magd, and Negm examined school absenteeism in 52 Egyptian patients with JIA, and the mean days of school missed was 25 days/year, and 46% of the population had poor school functioning. Similarly, Bouaddi et al reported that of the 67% of children with JIA who could continue to attend school in Morocco, there was a 63% absenteeism rate per year compared with 20% in healthy controls. Notably, 48.5% of children with JIA had failed a year of school .…”

“…Similarly, Bouaddi et al reported that of the 67% of children with JIA who could continue to attend school in Morocco, there was a 63% absenteeism rate per year compared with 20% in healthy controls. Notably, 48.5% of children with JIA had failed a year of school . However, these countries vary drastically from North America in regard to their educational, economic, political, and health care systems.…”