Prevalence and correlates for school truancy among pupils in grades 7-10: results from the 2004 Zambia Global School-based Health Survey

Abstract

BackgroundThere are limited data on the prevalence and associated factors of truancy in southern Africa. Yet truancy should attract the attention of public health professionals, educators and policy makers as it may be associated with adolescent problem behaviours. The objectives of the study were to estimate the prevalence and determine correlates of school truancy among pupils in Zambia.FindingsWe used data collected in 2004 in the Zambia Global School-based Health Survey. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with truancy. A total of 2257 pupils participated in the survey of whom 53.9% were male. Overall 58.8% of the participants (58.1% of males and 58.4% of females) reported being truant in the past 30 days. Factors associated with truancy were having been bullied (AOR = 1.34, 95% CI [1.32, 1.36]), current alcohol use (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI [2.16, 2.23]), perception that other students were kind and helpful (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.10, 1.14]), being male and being from the lowest school grade. Pupils whose parents or guardians checked their homework (AOR = 0.91 95% CI, [0.89, 0.92]) and those who reported parental supervision (AOR = 0.94, 95% CI [0.92-0.95]) were less likely to report being truant.ConclusionsWe found a high prevalence of truancy among pupils in grades 7-10 in Zambia. Interventions aimed to reduce truancy should be designed and implemented with due consideration of the associated factors.

Prevalence of Truancy and Its Associated Factors among School-Going Malaysian Adolescents: Data from Global School-Based Health Survey 2012

“…Students who reported being victims of bullying were more likely to have been truant (aOR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.22 -1.42). This supports GSHS findings from Thailand (Pengpid & Peltzer, 2013), Swaziland (Seter et al, 2007) as well as Zambia (Muula et al, 2012). Absenteeism from school is possibly to avoid further victimization or assault.…”

“…0% in 20070% in (WHO, 2007. However, it is much higher compared to GSHS data from Thailand (18.2%) in 2008 (WHO, 2008) and Swaziland in 2007(Seter et al, 2007 but considerably lower than Zambia (58.8%) (Muula et al, 2012). In term of risk factors, current smoking and drug use were identified as behaviors highly associated with truancy; specifically, twice the risk.…”

“…Truancy has been strongly linked to greater discipline problems in school and is a stepping stone for delinquent criminal behaviour in adulthood (Nik Jaafar et al, 2013). A myriad of negative outcomes have been found to be associated with truancy from school including social isolation, mood and conduct disorders, sleep disturbances and longer term outcomes such as dropping out from school (Muula et al, 2012). Truant students are also at higher risk of being drawn into behavior involving drug, alcohol and violence (Garry, 1996).…”

Parental Involvement, Health Behaviors and Mental Health among School-going Adolescents in Six Asian Countries

“…Consistent with previous studies (Siziya et al, 2007;Hazemba et al, 2008;Rudatsikira et al, 2008;Hoeve, 2009;Muula et al, 2012;and Erginoz, 2015), this study also found a negative association between parental involvement and violence (being bullied and in a physical fight) and truancy. An intervention trial that utilized parental involvement reduced truant and other problem behaviors among adolescents (Stanton et al, 2004).…”

“…Among school-going adolescents, parental supervision protected children from physical fighting in the Philippines (Rudatsikira et al, 2008), from being bullied in China (Hazemba et al, 2008) and from school truancy in Swaziland and Zambia (Siziya et al, 2007;& Muula et al, 2012). In a meta review, parental monitoring was found to be protective against delinquency (Hoeve et al, 2009).…”