A Meta-Analysis of Interventions to Facilitate School Reentry for Children with Chronic Health Conditions

Abstract

The current study used meta-analysis to examine the effects of school reentry interventions in terms of two primary outcomes: increasing illness- or injury- specific knowledge among teachers or healthy peers, and enhancing positive attitudinal change towards an ill or injured child. A secondary analysis examined any change in the ill or injured child's global self-worth following the intervention. A random-effects model was used in all analyses, and effect sizes were analyzed using heterogeneity tests. Larger effect sizes were found for increases in knowledge than for enhancing positive attitudinal changes (i.e., mean ES for knowledge: 0.84 - 0.88); mean ES for positive attitudinal change: 0.68), and larger effect sizes were found for teachers than for healthy peers in both analyses. Significant heterogeneity was found between groups (i.e., teachers vs. healthy peers) and within groups in both analyses. Results of the secondary analysis indicated a medium effect for changes in global self-worth (i.e., mean ES = 0.24). This meta-analysis provides support for the effectiveness of school reentry interventions, and highlights the critical need for more empirical work in this area.