Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the prospective associations between 17 individual, family, and community level youth assets and truancy among adolescents living in 1-parent and 2-parent households. Methods: Five waves of data were collected annually over a 4-year period from a racially/ethnically diverse sample of adolescents…

Background: In the United States, approximately seven million students are chronically absent from school each year. Students with disabilities are more likely to be chronically absent than students without a disability. Using the bioecological systems theory, this study examined the impact of individual developmental disabilities and disability…

Background: Students with chronic absences tend to struggle academically and may not benefit fully from all school has to offer. A positive school climate has been shown to reduce absenteeism and promote academic success. In this study, we explored how a positive school climate and high satisfaction with school may influence absences and academic…

Background: Low-income and racial/ethnic minority students often face distinct challenges in attending school leading to lower academic performance, low graduation rates, and overall, an indicator of diminished long-term social and financial stability. Chronic absenteeism is a national problem and to address this, a better understanding of risks…

Background: Substance use is prevalent and is associated with academic performance among adolescents. Few studies have examined the association between abstinence from all substances and academic achievement. Methods: Data from a nationally representative sample of 9578 12th graders from the 2015 Monitoring the Future survey were analyzed to…

Background: This study examined associations of truancy, perceived school performance, and mental health with adolescents' week, weekend, and binge drinking. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1167 secondary school students of Dutch ethnicity (mean age, 15.9 years, SD?=?0.69). Alcohol consumption, truancy, perceived school…

Background: This article examines the effect of early adolescent alcohol use on mid-adolescent school suspension, truancy, commitment, and academic failure in Washington State, United States, and Victoria, Australia. Also of interest was whether associations remain after statistically controlling for other factors known to predict school outcomes.…

Background: Truancy and alcohol use are quality indicators of academic achievement and success. However, there remains a paucity of substantive research articulating the impact these deviant behaviors have on an adolescent's educational aspirations. The purpose of this study is to assess whether recent alcohol use and truancy impact students'…

Background: Truancy is a serious concern that affects most school districts in the United States; however, we do not have accurate estimates of the prevalence of truancy due to inconsistent tracking and reporting practices of schools. As a result, our best current estimates of the national state of truancy may be from self-reported data. In this…

Compared three risk measures associated with adolescent substance use (truancy, grade point average, and recent sexual intercourse) to assess the reliability of risk measures across different survey instruments, communities, and points in time. Truancy appeared superior because of its strong predictive value, particularly among younger children,…