UCLA researchers awarded NIH grant to help reduce chronic absenteeism in underserved student populations

A team of UCLA Health researchers has been awarded a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant for a five-year study to determine whether school-based health centers (SBHCs) can improve health and academic outcomes for students experiencing chronic absenteeism.

Chronic absenteeism is defined as a student missing 10% or more of school days. It disproportionately affects underserved student populations, including low-income, non-English speaking, Black, and Latinx students and students with disabilities, groups in which up to one in seven students is affected. 

The study will be led by Rebecca N. Dudovitz, MD, MSHS, professor of General Pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA(Link is external), and Paul J. Chung, MD, MS(Link is external), professor and chair of Health System Science at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine(Link is external). Additional collaborators include Nicholas Jackson, PhD, MPH(Link is external), assistant professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Health Services Research at UCLA, Moira Inkelas, PhD, MPH(Link is external), professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and researchers from the Kaiser Permanente Southern California Department of Research & Evaluation. The grant was awarded in response to a call to action by the National Institutes of Health for research scientists to study the effectiveness of school-based centers in advancing health equity and addressing the needs of school-aged children from populations experiencing health disparities.

Partnering with Kaiser Permanente, L.A. Care Health Plan, and the Los Angeles Trust for Children’s Health, the proposed study aims to determine whether SBHCs can improve health equity for these students by reducing barriers to care and addressing specific health conditions that make them more susceptible to chronic absenteeism. 

Researchers say chronic absenteeism leads to a higher risk of chronic illness, depression, and substance abuse, resulting in lower chances of graduating from high school, which is a critical social determinant of lifelong morbidity and mortality.  

“This study is critical in helping us understand the significant impact SBHCs can make in the lives of students at higher risk for chronic absenteeism,” said Dudovitz. “This public health issue can no longer go unaddressed. We need to understand the adverse health outcomes resulting from chronic absenteeism and address the associated conditions, which include a higher risk of asthma, mental health disorders, and risky health behaviors. Policymakers must work to reduce the barriers to accessing care and improving health outcomes for these disproportionately affected populations, recognizing that the issue extends beyond simply missing a few classes.” 

The study will have four main aims:

• Identify patterns of absenteeism and the prevalence and timing of diagnoses for asthma, anxiety, depression, and obesity.
• Assess healthcare use to identify disparities in healthcare access among different absenteeism classes. 
• Evaluate whether SBHC use among students with and without chronic absenteeism leads to fewer absenteeism events, increased school attendance, and improved GPAs and graduation rates compared to similar students who do not use SBHCs. 
• Engage students with chronic absenteeism and stakeholders from managed care organizations, community clinics, SBHCs, and schools to prototype interventions that support health equity for these students.

The grant is active, with the study continuing through January 31, 2029.