Combatting Illness-Related Absenteeism in Schools

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Passport to Health Attendance is an important factor in children’s school success. Studies have shown that students who attend school regularly scores higher on test than their peers who are frequently absent (Epstein pg 309). Illness is one of the leading causes of absenteeism among school age kids. Therefore keeping kids healthy and teaching them ways to stay healthy will aid in avoiding missing school related to illness. With flu and cold season just around the corner, school age kids are at higher risk for contracting this all too common viral infection. One of the main reasons, children visits their doctors or stay home from school is related to Rhinovirus, Influenza virus and Group B streptococcal infections (Johns Hopkins Medicine). …show more content…

Many parents have a hard time deciding if their kids are well enough to go to school. Educating both students and parents about signs and symptoms of infection will assist them in making a more informed decision on when a child is too ill for school. According to the CDC, children should stay home if they have fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose not associated to allergies, body aches, headaches, chills, tiredness or malaise, diarrhea and vomiting (CDC.gov). One way to safeguard children’s health is to stay up to date with their recommended vaccines. It is also beneficial for them to receive annual flu vaccine. Annual Influenza vaccination has been recommended for all children 6 months to 18 years of age since 2008 by CDC. Research has proven that flu vaccination reduced a child’s risk of respiratory complications related to flu by 60% (CDC.gov). Nutrition also plays an important role in student health. Proper nutrition promotes optimal growth and development of children. Researchers generally find that a higher quality diet is associated with better performance on academic test scores and that nutritional status can directly affect mental capacity among school age children (Frisvold). Teaching students about the benefits of good nutrition will help them stay healthy throughout their growing years. “My plate” is one of the easy and interactive tools they can avail to assist them in making healthier food

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