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Academic achievement and satisfaction in adolescents with CHD

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 February 2015

Christina J. Schaefer ,
Ricarda Hoop ,
Stefanie Schürch-Reith ,
Dominik Stambach ,
Oliver Kretschmar ,
Urs Bauersfeld ,
Beatrice Latal  and
Markus A. Landolt
Christina J. Schaefer
Affiliation:
Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Ricarda Hoop
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Stefanie Schürch-Reith
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Dominik Stambach
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology, Ostschweizer Kinderspital, St. Gallen, Zurich, Switzerland
Oliver Kretschmar
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Urs Bauersfeld
Affiliation:
Pediatric Cardiology, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Beatrice Latal
Affiliation:
Child Development Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland Childrens’ Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
Markus A. Landolt*
Affiliation:
Childrens’ Research Center, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland Department of Child and Adolescent Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
*
Correspondence to: Prof. M. A. Landolt, Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, University Children’s Hospital Zurich, Steinwiesstrasse 75, CH-8032, Zurich Switzerland. Tel. +41442667111; Fax. +41442667171; E-mail: markus.landolt@kispi.uzh.ch
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Abstract

Objectives

To evaluate academic achievement and satisfaction in adolescents with CHD.

Study design

Questionnaires were sent to all adolescents, aged between 17 and 20 years with CHD, currently treated at our hospital (n=326) in order to assess the patients’ education and satisfaction with their academic career. Results were compared with the official community statistics.

Results

A total of 207 patients completed the questionnaires (participation rate 63.5%), 113 boys and 94 girls; 50% had completed mandatory school at the highest, 37.3% at the middle, and 12.7% at the lowest educational level. The distribution in the general population was comparable: 57.6, 32.5, and 9.9%, respectively (p=0.8). Adolescents with severe CHD were less likely to attain a higher educational level than those with moderate or mild CHD (p=0.03 for school grades 7–9). None of the other examined medical or socio-demographic factors, such as socio-economic status, foreign language, severity of CHD, cyanosis, and open heart surgery, were found to be associated with lower educational attainment. After the mandatory 9 years of schooling, 21.4% (n=44) of the patients with CHD compared with 16.7% in the general population attended higher school levels heading towards university education (p=0.7). From the 165 patients who provided information on career satisfaction, 79% regarded their job or school situation as being their desired one without a difference for those with severe CHD.

Conclusion

School education in Swiss adolescents with CHD is very similar to the normal population. In addition, the majority of adolescents are satisfied with their educational career. This fact may be due to the good educational support provided during schooling.

Keywords

Congenital heart defectacademic achievementadolescentsrisk factorssatisfaction
Type
Original Articles
Information
Cardiology in the Young , Volume 26 , Issue 2 , February 2016 , pp. 257 - 262
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

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Footnotes

✠

Deceased.

*

Shared last authorship.

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