MU Researcher Looks Into Factors Of Chronic Absenteeism

A University of Missouri researcher has looked into factors regarding chronic absenteeism in school-age children. Chronic absenteeism occurs when a school child misses at least 15 days during an academic year.

More than 16 percent of the student population are missing at least 15 days of school during an academic year. Knoo Lee is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Missouri Sinclair School of Nursing and analyzed survey results from a Minnesota Student Survey which includes responses from 8th, 9th and 11th grade children.

With data-driven analytics including machine learning techniques, Lee and his team identified 18 risk factors that were predominantly linked with students who reported missing school commonly. Some of the risk factors included drug or alcohol use, peer pressure and the approval of friends, staying home due to sickness, behavioral issues that may lead to out-of-school suspensions, family struggles, and adverse childhood experiences.

Lee now plans to research if students with partial-day or full-day absences are more likely to struggle with chronic absenteeism, as well as the role school nurses play in identifying at-risk youth.