School absence mediates health–attainment associations, least for ADHD (7.1%) and most for migraine (72.0%) and BMI (39.9%) (ALSPAC cohort)¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2021 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Mediation analysis in ALSPAC found associations between health and attainment were mediated by school absence for all conditions except asthma, with the mediated percentage lowest for ADHD and highest for migraine and BMI. → Hughes 2021

Evidence¶

Hughes 2021¶

Hughes, A., Wade, K. H., Dickson, M., Rice, F., Davies, A., Davies, N. M. & Howe, L. D. (2021). Common health conditions in childhood and adolescence, school absence, and educational attainment: Mendelian randomization study. npj Science of Learning 6:1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41539-020-00080-6

q2 · i? · causal · r2

Mediation analysis using Stata's paramed package in ALSPAC, decomposing total associations into direct and indirect (via absence) effects. The article reports "Percent of associations mediated was lowest for ADHD" and highest for BMI and migraine, with asthma not mediated.

"Percent of associations mediated was lowest for ADHD (7.1% at age 10, 8.4% at 13) and highest for BMI (39.9% at age 10, 32.6% at 13) and migraine (72.0% at age 10)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Genetic liability for ADHD predicts lower GCSE attainment but not greater school absence (ALSPAC cohort) — related
• Genetic instrumental-variable analysis supports a causal negative effect of higher BMI in childhood and adolescence on GCSE attainment and school absence (ALSPAC cohort) — related
• All measured health conditions are associated with greater school absence at 14–16, and depressive symptoms at 10 show a considerably stronger association with GCSEs than at 13 (ALSPAC cohort) — related
• In multivariate-adjusted phenotypic models, all measured child/adolescent health conditions except migraine and asthma are associated with poorer GCSE attainment at 16 (ALSPAC cohort) — related
• Two-sample Mendelian randomization in independent adult samples supports negative effects of BMI (and, secondarily, asthma) on years of schooling, with little evidence for migraine — related