Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-skm99 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-26T17:53:23.964Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

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
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

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
Check for updates
Copyright
© Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

✠

Deceased.

*

Shared last authorship.

References

1. Khairy, P, Ionescu-Ittu, R, Mackie, AS, Abrahamowicz, M, Pilote, L, Marelli, AJ. Changing mortality in congenital heart disease. J Am Coll Cardiol 2010; 56: 1149–1157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2. Mulkey, SB, Swearingen, CJ, Melguizo, MS, Reeves, RN, Rowell, JA, Gibson, N, Holland, G, Bhutta, AT, Kaiser, JR. Academic proficiency in children after early congenital heart disease surgery. Pediatr Cardiol 2014; 35: 344–352.Google Scholar
3. Shillingford, AJ, Glanzman, MM, Ittenbach, RF, Clancy, RR, Gaynor, JW, Wernovsky, G. Inattention, hyperactivity, and school performance in a population of school-age children with complex congenital heart disease. Pediatrics 2008; 121: e759–e767.Google Scholar
4. Olsen, M, Hjortdal, VE, Mortensen, LH, Christensen, TD, Sorensen, HT, Pedersen, L. Educational achievement among long-term survivors of congenital heart defects: a Danish population-based follow-up study. Cardiol Young 2011; 21: 197–203.Google Scholar
5. Zomer, AC, Vaartjes, I, Uiterwaal, CS, et al. Social burden and lifestyle in adults with congenital heart disease. Am J Cardiol 2012; 109: 1657–1663.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6. Geyer, S, Norozi, K, Buchhorn, R, Wessel, A. Chances of employment in women and men after surgery of congenital heart disease: comparisons between patients and the general population. Congenit Heart Dis 2009; 4: 25–33.Google Scholar
7. Kamphuis, M, Vogels, T, Ottenkamp, J, Van Der Wall, EE, Verloove-Vanhorick, SP, Vliegen, HW. Employment in adults with congenital heart disease. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med 2002; 156: 1143–1148.Google Scholar
8. Wright, M, Nolan, T. Impact of cyanotic heart disease on school performance. Arch Dis Child 1994; 71: 64–70.Google Scholar
9. van Rijen, EH, Utens, EM, Roos-Hesselink, JW, et al. Psychosocial functioning of the adult with congenital heart disease: a 20-33 years follow-up. Eur Heart J 2003; 24: 673–683.Google Scholar
10. Crossland, DS, Jackson, SP, Lyall, R, Burn, J, O'Sullivan, JJ. Employment and advice regarding careers for adults with congenital heart disease. Cardiol Young 2005; 15: 391–395.Google Scholar
11. Bygstad, E, Pedersen, LC, Pedersen, TA, Hjortdal, VE. Tetralogy of Fallot in men: quality of life, family, education, and employment. Cardiol Young 2012; 22: 417–423.Google Scholar
12. Nieminen, H, Sairanen, H, Tikanoja, T, et al. Long-term results of pediatric cardiac surgery in Finland: education, employment, marital status, and parenthood. Pediatrics 2003; 112: 1345–1350.Google Scholar
13. Zürich BdK. Schulen im Kanton Zürich. Bildungsplanung/Bildungsstatistik 2006/2007. Ausgabe 2007; 1–17.Google Scholar
14. Warnes, CA, Liberthson, R, Danielson, GK, et al. Task force 1: the changing profile of congenital heart disease in adult life. J Am Coll Cardiol 2001; 37: 1170–1175.Google Scholar
15. Shea, JB. Quality of life issues in patients with implantable cardioverter defibrillators: driving, occupation, and recreation. AACN Clin Issues 2004; 15: 478–489.Google Scholar
16. Landolt, MA, Vollrath, M, Ribi, K. Predictors of coping strategy selection in paediatric patients. Acta Paediatr 2002; 91: 954–960.Google Scholar
17. Bellinger, DC, Wypij, D, Rivkin, MJ, et al. Adolescents with d-transposition of the great arteries corrected with the arterial switch procedure: neuropsychological assessment and structural brain imaging. Circulation 2011; 124: 1361–1369.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18. Sprangers, MA, Schwartz, CE. Integrating response shift into health-related quality of life research: a theoretical model. Soc Sci Med 1999; 48: 1507–1515.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19. Vigl, M, Niggemeyer, E, Hager, A, Schwedler, G, Kropf, S, Bauer, U. The importance of socio-demographic factors for the quality of life of adults with congenital heart disease. Qual Life Res 2011; 20: 169–177.Google Scholar
20. Ternestedt, BM, Wall, K, Oddsson, H, Riesenfeld, T, Groth, I, Schollin, J. Quality of life 20 and 30 years after surgery in patients operated on for tetralogy of Fallot and for atrial septal defect. Pediatr Cardiol 2001; 22: 128–132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21. Schaefer, C, von Rhein, M, Knirsch, W, et al. Neurodevelopmental outcome, psychological adjustment, and quality of life in adolescents with congenital heart disease. Dev Med Child Neurol 2013; 55: 1143–1149.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22. Majnemer, A, Limperopoulos, C, Shevell, MI, Rohlicek, C, Rosenblatt, B, Tchervenkov, C. A new look at outcomes of infants with congenital heart disease. Pediatr Neurol 2009; 40: 197–204.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
23. Koletzko, B. Kinder- und Jugendmedizin. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, 2013.CrossRefGoogle Scholar