Standardized Assessment of Educational Risk Among Pediatric Outpatients With Gastrointestinal (GI) Conditions: Feasibility of the Brief School Needs Inventory (BSNI)

Abstract

Objective: As access to quality education is a known, primary social determinant of health among pediatric patients, we were interested in the level of educational risk among pediatric patients with chronic gastrointestinal (GI) conditions and the potential differences in risk between those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, chronic abdominal pain, and chronic constipation. Method: We surveyed 148 parents/guardians of pediatric GI patients in a midwestern tertiary gastroenterology clinic using the Brief School Needs Inventory (BSNI), a semi-structured interview. Results: Most pediatric GI patients were rated as being at low educational risk (68.9%), with the remaining at moderate (23.6%) and high (7.4%) risk. Among the greatest specific concerns for parents related to their children’s functioning at school were peer relationships, attendance, and emotional and behavioral issues. Level of educational risk was not significantly related to GI diagnosis. Conclusions: Roughly 30% of the families within our GI Clinic surveyed as part of the study reported moderate to high levels of educational risk for their youth. These data signal the need for standardized, routine educational risk screening and thoughtful implementation of tiered educational intervention and support to equitably address education as an important determinant of pediatric health outcomes.