Birth weight and school absences and attainment: a longitudinal linked cohort study of compulsory schooling in England.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To explore how birth weight and size-for-gestation may contribute to school absences and educational attainment and whether there are different associations across sex and income groups.

Design

Longitudinal linked cohort study.

Methods

Data were drawn from the Millennium Cohort Study, a nationally representative cohort of children born in 2000-2001; percentage of authorised and unauthorised absences from Year 1 to Year 11, and Key Stage test scores at ages 7, 11 and 16 in English and Maths were linked from the National Pupil Database. Birth outcomes and covariates were derived from the 9-month survey, and linear regressions with complex survey weights were fitted.

Results

Being born small-for-gestational-age (vs average-for-gestational-age) was associ

SUBMITTER: Baranyi G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12171418 | biostudies-literature | 2025 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature