Chronic school absenteeism 5.8 percent for 5- to 17-year-olds in 2022

In 2022, 5.8 percent of children ages 5 to 17 years experienced chronic school absenteeism for health-related reasons, according to a March data brief published by the National Center for Health Statistics.

Lindsey I. Black, M.P.H., and Nazik Elgaddal, from the National Center for Health Statistics in Hyattsville, Maryland, describe the percentage of children ages 5 to 17 years who experienced chronic school absenteeism due to illness, injury, or disability using data from the 2022 National Health Interview Survey.

The researchers found that in 2022, in the past 12 months, 5.8 percent of children ages 5 to 17 years experienced chronic school absenteeism for health-related reasons. There was variation observed in the percentage of children who experienced chronic absenteeism by race and Hispanic origin.

The likelihood of experiencing chronic school absenteeism was increased for children with family incomes of less than 200 percent of the federal poverty level versus those with family incomes of 200 percent of the federal poverty level or more. The likelihood of experiencing chronic school absenteeism was about three times higher for children with versus those without disabilities (14.8 and 4.4 percent, respectively).

"In 2022, 5.8 percent of children experienced chronic school absenteeism for health-related reasons in the past 12 months. Differences by sex and age were not significant," the authors write.