Missing Care, Missing Class: Analyzing the Overlooked Relationship Between Unmet Healthcare Needs and Absenteeism

Background: Health-related issues are perhaps the most common reason for student absences, as nearly every student has missed school due to an illness or injury at some point. Researchers in medicine and education have thoroughly documented the relationship between health and attendance. Methods: Descriptive trends are analyzed. Ordinary Least Squares regression is applied to the data in the National Survey of Children's Health. Our variable of interest was my child needed care and did not receive it, and our dependent variable was the number of days missed due to illness or injury. Results: Students who needed healthcare and did not receive it were significantly more likely to miss school due to illness or injury, even after accounting for insurance status, chronic illness, and demographic factors. The most commonly missed types of care were dental, medical, and mental health services. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: These results suggest that improving access to timely healthcare, particularly through school and community initiatives, is an important strategy for reducing chronic absenteeism. Conclusions: The relationship found in this study remained stable over time even as overall health-related absences have increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings underscore that barriers to care, especially appointment availability and logistical constraints, are not just healthcare system issues but educational ones as well.