Children from low-income families in US more likely to miss school for health reasons

Several studies have shown that chronic absenteeism has nearly doubled between 2019 and 2022. Photograph: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Children in low-income households are more likely to be chronically absent from school for health reasons, according to a new report from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS).

The finding adds a new piece to the puzzle for schools trying to combat chronic absenteeism – a post-pandemic phenomenon that has become a major concern.