Asthma is a significant contributor to missed school days, especially for children living in urban settings. This preliminary study examined the impact of caregiver asthma on school absenteeism in a sample of 102 urban children with asthma from African American, Latino, and non-Latino White backgrounds. Caregivers and children participated in a single research session; 32 caregivers had asthma. Children of caregivers with asthma missed more days of school than children whose caregivers did not have asthma (3.97 vs. 2.43 days, p < .05, Cohen's d = .40). Other indicators of child asthma morbidity (e.g., hospitalizations) did not differ across caregiver asthma status. Findings highlight that caregiver asthma may be an added risk factor for school absenteeism among children with asthma. For children with a high frequency of asthma-related school absenteeism, school nurses may find it useful to provide educational resources and referrals for caregivers with asthma.
Keywords: academic achievement/attendance; asthma; parent/family; school nurse education; screening/risk identification.