New policy statement by American Academy of Pediatrics encourages pediatricians to talk with parents and families about school attendance and the links to health.
The link between education and health is well-ingrained in the minds of educators and health care providers alike, thanks to a wealth of recent research that confirms this. Good health is critical to ensuring that students can make the most of their educational opportunities. And access to good education and regular attendance at school impacts a person’s long-term health, often leading to better jobs, higher income earnings, and better access to resources that reinforce health.
Now health care groups like the American Academy of Pediatrics are strengthening the conversation by recommending that pediatricians routinely ask parents about their child’s school attendance and how many days they may have missed school in the past month. The recommendation is part of a new set of policy directives that AAP issued on the link between school attendance and health.
Kaiser Permanente’s Institute for Health Policy interviewed Hedy N. Chang, executive director of Attendance Works, to learn more about AAP’s new policy.
