https://aub.ie/MilitaryREACH-Gehring2022

Gehring, J., & Robert, R. C. (2023). Predictors of missed school days among military connected families: A feasibility study. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 35(1), 32-40. https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000783

This study examined how factors related to managing the needs of a child with chronic health conditions contribute to children’s missed school days. Data were from a nationally representative sample of 40,242 families who had a child with special health care needs, including 1,656 military-affiliated families. Parents of children with chronic health conditions reported on contextual care factors, such as weekly hours spent providing and coordinating health care for their child, whether family members had reduced work hours or stopped working due to their child’s health care needs, and whether their child’s daily living activities were affected by their health condition, as well as how many school days their child missed in the past year. After accounting for demographic information (e.g., child gender, family structure) and emotional-behavioral conditions (e.g., anxiety, autism), the amount of time that parents spent providing and coordinating care was a robust predictor of missed school days (4+ a year).

https://doi.org/10.1097/JXX.0000000000000783

Children
Mental health
Physical health

Multiple branches

Active Duty

Child of a service member or veteran

Childhood (birth - 12 yrs)
Adolescence (13 - 17 yrs)

Secondary Analysis
Quantitative Study

Gehring, Janet, Robert, Rebecca C.

Background:  There is a paucity of research specific to military children's health, especially those with special needs. This may be partly attributed to the difficulty in accessing military connected families as a population. Yet, given the recognized importance of military connected families to the national security agenda, a need exists for studies to explore factors underlying child and family health. Purpose:  We sought to identify factors among a sample of military children with special health care needs (CSHCN) predictive of missed school days, a commonly used measure of health and one used by NPs to monitor chronic conditions management success. Methodology:  We used a secondary data analysis design and multivariable logistic regression with a subsample of military connected families from the National Survey of CSHCN identified by their reported insurance type. Results:  We identified 1,656 military CSHCN. According to the adjusted model, hours of care per week, family work hours change, and activity limitations for the child were positive predictors of ≥4 missed school days per year. Conclusion/Implications:  Our models identified important predictors of missed school days among military children that may inform assessments, interventions, and referrals by nurse practitioners caring for them. We identified a robust sample of military CSHCN from the National Survey of CSHCN by using self-reported insurance, a novel and simple approach to conducting a focused study of this population. Although feasible, this sampling approach was not without limitations. We advocate for including military connected families within sampling frameworks of national surveys to ensure that studies with this critical and unique population continue.

American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Article
REACH Publication

Catholic University of America Conway School of Nursing, JG
Catholic University of America Conway School of Nursing, RCR