Characteristics of affected children and their classmates participating in the study
| Children with CHDs N=477 | Unaffected classmates N=464 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N (%) | Missing (N (%)) | N (%) | Missing (N (%)) | p Value for difference | |
| Individual factors | |||||
| Male | 268 (56) | 0 | 255 (55) | 0 | 0.63 |
| Age (years) | 12.1 (1.0)* | 0 | 12.0 (1.1)* | 0 | 0.33 |
| Ethnicity | 4 (1) | 7 (2) | 0.24 | ||
| White | 443 (93) | 420 (90) | |||
| Non-white | 30 (6) | 37 (8) | |||
| Birth weight (g) | 3228 (673.5)* | 16 | 3443 (603.0)* | 15 | <0.001 |
| Parent† and family factors | |||||
| Parental education level | 0 | 0 | 0.14 | ||
| None/General Certificate of Secondary Education | 168 (35) | 142 (31) | |||
| A level | 140 (29) | 129 (28) | |||
| Degree | 169 (36) | 193 (41) | |||
| Number of full-time equivalent working parents† | 1.2 (0.58)* | 0 | 1.3 (0.56)* | 0 | 0.19 |
| Number of siblings at home | 2.0 [2.0–2.0]‡ | 0 | 2.0 [2.0,2.0]‡ | 0 | 0.44 |
| Two parents† at home at birth | 452 (95) | 0 | 444 (96) | 2 | 0.22 |
| Two parents† at home now | 385 (81) | 0 | 364 (78) | 1 | 0.43 |
| Mother's age at child's birth (years) | 29.6 (5.1)* | 6 | 29.8 (4.8)* | 8 | 0.53 |
| Father's age at child's birth (years) | 32.1 (6.1)* | 11 | 32.0 (5.9)* | 11 | 0.86 |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Non-cardiac long-standing illness | 20 | 13 | <0.001 | ||
| Yes, not limiting | 66 (14) | 48 (10) | |||
| Yes, limiting | 111 (23) | 31 (7) | |||
| Uses regular non-cardiac medications | 170 (36) | 3 | 40 (9) | 7 | <0.001 |
| Problems with vision | 164 (34) | 14 | 109 (23) | 12 | <0.001 |
| Problems with hearing | 124 (26) | 5 | 69 (10) | 10 | <0.001 |
| Problems with speech | 70 (15) | 9 | 13 (3) | 7 | <0.001 |
| School and daily life activities | |||||
| Type of schooling | 0 | 0 | <0.001 | ||
| Mainstream school | 326 (68) | 418 (90) | |||
| Mainstream with assistance | 112 (23) | 40 (9) | |||
| Special school/unit | 39 (8) | 6 (1) | |||
| School absence in last year | 4 | 5 | <0.001 | ||
| Never | 105 (22) | 148 (32) | |||
| <1 week | 193 (40) | 227 (49) | |||
| 1–2 weeks | 102 (21) | 56 (12) | |||
| 2 weeks–1 month | 46 (10) | 20 (4) | |||
| >1 month | 28 (6) | 8 (2) | |||
| Frequency of sport§ | 1.0 [0.5–3.0]‡ | 0 | 2.0 (1.0–3.0)‡ | 0 | <0.001 |
| Frequency of social activities¶ | 5.0 [2.5–6.5]‡ | 0 | 6.0 (4.0–7.2)‡ | 0 | <0.001 |
| Cardiac factors | |||||
| No cardiac disorder | 0 | 464 (100) | 0 | N/A | |
| Cardiac prognostic severity (CPS) | 1 (<1) | N/A | |||
| Curative | 102 (21) | ||||
| Corrective | 272 (57) | ||||
| Palliative | 103 (22) | ||||
| Number of cardiac interventions | 2.0 [1.0–3.0]‡ | 52 | 0 | 0 | N/A |
*Mean (SD).
†Includes carers/guardians.
‡Median [IQR] based on parent questionnaire (parents reported all interventions where hospital case notes were incomplete and missing data reflects where parents could not provide data).
§Number of occasions child takes part in a sporting activity (not school PE) per week.
¶Number of occasions outside of school hours that a child takes part in sport, plays with friends or attends non-sport clubs per week.
CHD, congenital heart defect.