Monitoring of absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms and diseases among preschoolers in Guangzhou

ABSTRACT

Objective To analyse monitoring absenteeism due to respiratory symptoms/diseases among preschoolers in Guang-zhou, and to provide reference for risk prevention and control of respiratory infectious diseases in kindergartens. Methods Data of absenteeism due to symptoms and diseases in kindergartens were collected from "Guangzhou Student Health Monitoring System", and was analyzed by using R 4.1.3 software. Results During 2018-2020 academic year, there were 1 965, 2 019, 2 236 kinder-gartens being monitored respectively. The absenteeism rate of kindergarten's children due to respiratory symptoms and diseases in Guangzhou were 3.08 ‰ and 2.02 ‰. The absenteeism rates due to respiratory symptoms were 3.75 ‰, 4.17 ‰, 2.97 ‰ and 2.09 ‰ in baby class, junior class, middle class and senior class, respectively. The absenteeism rates due to respiratory diseases were 2.34 ‰, 2.60 ‰, 1.94 ‰ and 1.50 ‰, respectively. The absenteeism rate in higher grade was lower than that in lower grade (X2 = 65 197.95, 27 929.44, P<0.01). The absenteeism rates of boys (3.11 ‰, 2.05 ‰ ) due to respiratory symptoms/diseases were signif-icantly higher than those of girls (3.06 ‰, 1.97 ‰ ) (X2 =57.71, 229.45, P<0.01). The absenteeism of preschoolers due to respiratory symptoms/diseases showed two peaks in December of the this year and May of the following year. At the beginning of the second se-mester of 2019 academic year (after the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019), the absenteeism rate due to respiratory symptoms/diseases were lower than those of the same period in previous years. Conclusions The absences due to respiratory symptoms or dis-eases not only accounted for half of the total absences due to illness, but also had seasonal characteristics. Children in the younger-age group and most boys are treated as a focus group for absence due to respiratory symptoms/illnesses. It's necessary to give full use of timely warning function of health monitoring system. © 2022 by the Author(s).