Understanding School Presenteeism and Absence in Adolescents Affected by Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain: A Qualitative Study.
Beau Sherwood, Lisa Roberts, Rhiannon Joslin
PMID 40660967WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with chronic musculoskeletal pain and their parents described being at school and taking part as shaped by being believed by staff, having trusted friends, and managing transitions.
Walking aids sometimes drew stigma. Adjustments were described as making it easier to stay in school.
Key findings
01Adolescents and parents described feeling believed by staff and having trusted friends as important for being at school and participating, while disbelief, stigma and bullying were described as reasons to stay away.
02Walking aids were sometimes used to validate invisible pain but also attracted unwanted attention and peer victimisation.
03Transitions, including moving school and returning after absence, were described as moments that could either help engagement or make disengagement more likely.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The interviews were originally collected for another study, so the questions were not designed to explain school presenteeism and absence. Only adolescents and parents were interviewed, so teachers, school staff and healthcare professionals did not give their views. The study described experiences in England, so it may not match schools in other countries or education systems. The authors did not report ethnicity or socio-economic status, so the diversity of the sample is unclear. Transcripts were not returned to participants for checking, and the study did not include objective absence metrics. Participants were recruited from hospital services, so adolescents who were homeschooled or not enrolled in school may be missed. The themes cannot show that any adjustment caused better attendance.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that walking aids caused absence or that school adjustments will improve attendance. The study reported experiences and themes, not a tested intervention or measured attendance outcome.