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The effect of ambient air pollutants and Asian dust (AD) on absence from school due to sickness has not been well researched. By conducting a case-crossover study, this study investigated the influence of ambient air pollutants and desert sand dust particles from East Asia on absence from school due to sickness. From November 2016 to July 2018, the daily cases of absence due to sickness were recorded in five elementary schools in Matsue, Japan. During the study period, a total of 16,915 absence cases were recorded, which included 4865 fever cases and 2458 cough cases. The relative risk of overall absence in a 10-μg/m3 increment of PM2.5 and a 0.1-km−1 of desert sand dust particles from East Asia were found with 1.28 (95%CI: 1.15–1.42) and 2.15 (1.04–4.45) at lag0, respectively. The significant influence of PM2.5 persisted at lag5 and that of desert sand dust particles at lag2. NO2 had statistically significant effects at lag2, lag3, and lag4. However, there was no evidence of a positive association of Ox and SO2 with absence from school. These results suggested that PM2.5, NO2, and AD increased the risk of absence due to sickness in schoolchildren.

This study examines the association between school absenteeism, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and happiness among young adults aged 16&ndash, 26 years attending vocational education. Cross-sectional data from a survey among 676 young adults were analyzed. School absenteeism was measured by the self-reported number of sick days in the past eight weeks and hours of truancy in the past four weeks. HRQOL was measured by the 12-item Short Form Health Survey, physical and mental component summary scores were calculated. General happiness was assessed on a scale of 0&ndash, 10, higher scores indicating greater happiness. Linear regression analyses were performed. The study population had a mean age of 18.5 years (SD 2.2), 26.1% were boys. Young adults with &ge, 5 sick days or &ge, 6 h of truancy reported lower mental HRQOL compared to young adults without sickness absence or truancy (p &lt, 0.05). Young adults with 1&ndash, 4 and &ge, 5 sick days reported lower physical HRQOL compared to young adults who had not reported to be sick (p &lt, 5 h and &ge, 6 h of truancy reported higher physical HRQOL compared to young adults who were not truant (p &lt, 0.05). No associations were observed between school absence and happiness. Lower self-reported mental HRQOL was observed among young adults with more school absenteeism due to sickness or truancy. Sickness absence was additionally associated with lower physical HRQOL.