614 - Self-perception in relation to academic achievement in children with chronic disease

Poster Number: 614
Publication Number: 614.404

Silvia L. Verhofste, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Cumming, IA, United States; Amy L. Conrad, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States; Emily J. Steinbach, University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, United States; Janice Staber, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States; Lyndsay Harshman, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA, United States

Background: Chronic disease is associated with risk for lower quality of life and academic underachievement; however, little is known about self-perception among children with a chronic disease nor whether self-perception is related to academic achievement.

Objective: Our objective was to investigate ratings of self-perception and academic achievement among children of two different disease domains – chronic kidney disease and hemophilia – in comparison with healthy peers.

Design/Methods: This cross-sectional, case-control study included 29 males, aged 6-16 years old, with a diagnosis of either chronic kidney disease (CKD) or hemophilia (H) and 25 healthy peers matched by age and gender. All participants completed the Self-Description Questionnaire (SDQ) and Wide Range Achievement Test (WRAT-4) in addition to measures of general intelligence (IQ) as part of a research-based cognitive assessment. Participant-reported self-perception, academic performance, and intelligence were compared between cases and controls. The association between self-perception and cognitive outcome was subsequently evaluated using multivariate linear regression.

Results: There was no statistical significance between the self-perception of pediatric patients with chronic disease compared to their healthy peers specific to physical, relationship, or academic self-confidence (see Table 1). Academic achievement measured by WRAT-4 was significantly lower for both the CKD/H patients than healthy peers on measures of arithmetic, with the deficit driven by the CKD population (mean difference = 9.160 [std. error = 3.649], p = .046). Intelligence, as derived from the Wechsler General Abilities Index, was lower for the CKD/H sample compared to peers with the deficit - again driven by the CKD population (mean difference = 13.330 [std. error = 3.661], p = .002).Conclusion(s): Academic achievement performance is significantly lower for children with chronic disease (CKD/H), particularly those with CKD; however, participant-reported self-perception of academic skills does not appear to reflect the observed academic deficits. This suggests an opportunity to counsel families and patients on the need for objective measures of academic ability in parallel to patient-reported perception of academic ability.
Table 1- Group differences and significant associations for the scales of the Self-Description Questionnaire of the individuals with pediatric CKD, hemophilia, and controls. (CKD = chronic kidney disease, Hem=hemophilia)
Table 2- Group differences and significant associations of academic achievement of the individuals with pediatric CKD, hemophilia, and controls. (CKD = chronic kidney disease, WRAT4 = Wide Range Achievement Test, Hem=hemophilia)