PREDICTORS OF FREQUENT MIDDLE SCHOOL-HEALTH ROOM USE

Disproportionately high use of school health room (HR) services by sma ll groups of users has been reported. This study investigated predicto rs of frequent HR use in two suburban middle schools involving 1089 st udents who made at least one HR visit during a single academic year. S ubsets of high and low users were compared using logistic regression. Predictor variables included gender, grade, academic ability, and exis tence of a chronic health condition. Although demographic characterist ics of the study schools varied significantly, a pattern of increasing HR use associated with progressive lowering of academic ability was d emonstrated in both schools. Existence of a chronic health condition w as associated with increased HR use, even when controlling for routine medication visits. Gender and grade were not predictive. These findin gs suggest that HR use reflects more than medical concerns. Patterns o f HR use by students with chronic health conditions deserve additional study to determine whether current strategies to meet their needs are adequate.