Academic Attainment Findings in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

• Published in: The Journal of school health 2013-08, Vol.83 (8), p.548-553
• Main Authors: Epping, Amanda S., Myrvik, Matthew P., Newby, Robert F., Panepinto, Julie A., Brandow, Amanda M., Scott, J. Paul
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Academic Ability; Academic achievement; African American Students; African Americans - psychology; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Anemia, Sickle Cell - psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Black American people; Black students; Child; Children; Childrens health; Cognitive Ability; Comparative Analysis; Demographic aspects; Diseases; Educational Attainment; Educational Status; Female; General aspects; Grade Repetition; Grade retention; Health aspects; Humans; Male; Medical Evaluation; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Nursing; Patient outcomes; Patients; Prevention and actions; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Questionnaires; Records (Forms); Regression (Statistics); Relatives; Retrospective Studies; school; School Districts; Sickle cell anaemia; Sickle cell anemia; Sickle cell disease; Special Education; United States (Midwest); United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0022-4391; 1746-1561
• DOI: 10.1111/josh.12064

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) demonstrate deficits in cognitive and academic functioning. This study compared the academic attainment of children with SCD relative to national, state, and local school district rates for African American students. METHODS A retrospective chart review of children with SCD was completed and academic information was collected from caregiver report and school records. One‐sample tests of proportions were calculated to compare academic attainment rates in children with SCD relative to national, state, and local school district normative data of African American students. RESULTS Overall, 197 patient records were reviewed. A higher proportion of children with SCD were retained a grade relative to national, state, and local school district rates for African American students. In addition, a higher proportion of children with SCD received special education services relative to the national, state, and local school district rates for African American students. CONCLUSION Children with SCD demonstrate higher rates of special education services and grade retention relative to African American peers. Overall, children with SCD demonstrate poorer academic attainment relative to healthy, African American peers highlighting the need for increased focus on special education services to address school performance issues within this population.