Social well-being and problematic school absence among Danish adolescents: A nationwide cross-sectional study

Aim: Adolescents' well-being and school absence are important factors for public health. The aim of this study was to examine the association between social well-being and problematic school absence among Danish adolescents in the ninth grade, as well as to examine potential sex differences, using a large cohort of adolescents. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, information on social well-being was obtained from the yearly Danish National Well-being Questionnaire mandatory in compulsory school. Data on school absence was obtained from the Ministry of Children and Education. The study population comprised 203,570 adolescents in the school years 2014/2015 to 2019/2020. The association between social well-being and problematic school-absence was analysed using logistic regression. A stratified analysis was made to investigate potential sex differences. Results: A total of 17,555 (9.16%) adolescents had problematic school absence, defined as >10% illegal absence and/or sickness absence in the ninth grade. Adolescents with low social well-being had higher odds for having problematic school absence compared with adolescents with high social well-being, adjusted odds ratio=2.22 (95% confidence interval 2.10-2.34). When stratifying for sex, the association was strongest for girls. The results remained after adjustment for parents' educational level and family structure. Conclusions: Associations between adolescents' social well-being and problematic school absence were found, where girls had the strongest association. These findings might provide knowledge about social well-being as an important factor for problematic school absence, while underlining the importance of early focus and prevention, which is of importance for both the adolescents and society.

Automated summary

This study aimed to examine the association between social well-being and problematic school absence among Danish adolescents, using a large cohort of adolescents. The results showed that adolescents with low social well-being had higher odds for problematic school absence, and this association was strongest for girls. These findings highlight the importance of early focus and prevention for addressing problematic school absence.