Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39569796›Full record

Observational studyActa paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992)2025

Infectious morbidity and white blood cell count associated with grade repetition and school absenteeism.

Eduardo Villamor, Rachael J Beer, Allison L Seeley, Sandra López-Arana, Constanza Marín, Mercedes Mora-Plazas

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Acta paediatrica (Oslo, Norway : 1992), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Eduardo VillamorDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3937-5574
Rachael J BeerDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2940-7467
Allison L SeeleyDepartment of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Sandra López-AranaEscuela de Nutrición y Dietética, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Finis Terrae, Santiago, Chile.
Constanza MarínFacultad de Medicina, Universidad de La Sabana, Chía, Colombia.
Mercedes Mora-PlazasFoundation for Research in Nutrition and Health, Bogotá, Colombia.

Funding

ASISA Foundation
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimInfections can impair cognitive development, but their role on adverse childhood educational outcomes is unknown. We examined the associations of infectious morbidity and inflammatory biomarkers with grade repetition and school absenteeism.

methodsWe followed 2762 Colombian children aged 5-12 years for a school year. We quantified inflammatory biomarkers at enrolment and prospectively recorded incidence of gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, doctor visits and absent days from school using pictorial diaries. We estimated adjusted relative risks (ARR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for grade repetition and absenteeism by infectious morbidity burden and inflammatory biomarker categories, and percentages of the associations mediated through absenteeism.

resultsMorbidity was associated with increased risk of grade repetition. ARR (95% CI) of grade repetition comparing high versus no incidence of gastrointestinal, respiratory and ear infections were, respectively, 2.17 (1.00, 4.72), 2.31 (1.28, 4.16) and 2.57 (1.13, 5.86). Infections also predicted school absenteeism, which mediated 35%, 31% and 38% of the corresponding morbidity-grade repetition associations. Elevated white blood cells (WBC), especially granulocytes, were related to increased grade repetition and school absenteeism risks.

conclusionChildhood infections and elevated WBC are associated with grade repetition and school absenteeism. Absenteeism does not fully explain the morbidity-grade repetition associations.

Indexed as

AbsenteeismGastroenteritisLeukocyte CountRespiratory Tract InfectionsSchoolsChildChild, PreschoolColombiaFemaleHumansIncidenceLongitudinal StudiesMaleMorbidityProspective StudiesRiskchildhood infectionsgastrointestinal morbiditygrade repetitiongrade retentiongranulocytesrespiratory infectionschool absenteeismwhite blood cells

Identifiers

PMID39569796
PMCPMC11976128

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.