Academic achievement factors in children with chronic illness: A report based on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, from the Study of Early Child Care

The key question not addressed by the hierarchical model (Shavelson et al., 1976) is whether academic self-concept is reflected in relations with non-academic self-concept components (i.e. a between-network issue). The present study investigated the significance of physical self-concept, as a proposed mediator variable, to assess the relationship between anxiety/depression and school absence in children with chronic illness, which was hypothesized as Model A. Additionally, this research examined proposed mediator of absence in order to assess the relationship between physical self-concept and academic achievement, after controlling for academic self-concept, which was hypothesized as Model B. This study included participants from a comprehensive database of the Study of Early Child Care (SECC), by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). This study will examine the health status, psychosocial factors, attendance, and academic functioning of children in the sixth grade at the time of data collection. Findings, related to Model A, suggest that when children, regardless of whether or not they are chronically ill, experience higher degrees of anxiety/depression, they are more likely to report having higher levels of negative physical self-concept and higher levels of school absence. Findings for Model B suggested that once academic self-concept was controlled, physical self-concept, while statistically significant, accounted for little actual variance in the number of days a student was absent from school. This finding was true among all students as well as those who were not chronically ill. Specifically, this finding did not hold true for chronically ill students.