Do chronic health conditions in childhood affect the transition to school and early academic success? The role of the preschool health examination and early support measures. The ikidS (I’m starting school) project

Project period: 2013 - 2017

The study protocol for ikidS I (in German) can be found on the ikidS II project page.

The final report on the project (in German) can be accessed here.

The questionnaires used in the project are available in German on request.

Background

Starting school is a major milestone for every child. It is unclear what impact a child’s health condition at the time of starting school has on their subsequent school career. Educational aspects have so far been little studied in paediatric health services research.

Objectives

The aim of the ikidS study was to investigate the association between chronic health conditions (CHC) and other educationally relevant health impairments at the start of school and early academic success. Furthermore, the role of the preschool health examination (PHE) and the resulting medical care and educational support measures was examined. The aim was to identify any potential positive effects of medical care and/or educational support on academic success.

Project Procedure

In order to achieve the stated objectives, a three-year research project was initiated in 2013. Following a pilot phase, 2,003 children (out of approximately 3,700 potential participants) have been monitored since 2014, from the time of their PHE until the end of first grade. At the time of their PHE, the children were assessed for the presence of one or more CHC, and their parents were asked about any care and support measures already in place. Changes in health were captured using two follow-up questionnaires completed by the parents – two and ten months after the children started school. At the end of first grade, early academic success was assessed from the perspectives of parents, children and teachers. Existing data (birth registers, the PHE database) were taken into account.

Funding

German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)

Contact

Prof. Dr. Michael S. Urschitz, EU-MSc. (Principal investigator)
E-Mail: urschitz@uni-mainz.de