Can a Weaker Immune System Lead to Higher Absenteeism in School?

When it comes to the overall health and wellbeing of kids of today, it’s fair to say that they tend to
suffer with weaker immune systems than the generations of children that came before them. This is
due to a variety of factors; from stress, to dietary imbalances. An issue that many parents and
teachers are beginning to face is that those with lower immune systems are likely to have a higher
chance of getting ill – and therefore an increased chance of missing out on school.

Why is a strong immune system important?

With the number of kids within school systems nowadays (and most of these functioning with a less
than ideal immune system), colds and illnesses can spread fairly quickly – and leave children needing
to be kept home for a short time until they feel better. While it’s important to keep a child home and
look after them if they’re unwell, the impact that too much time off can have on their educational
and social needs shouldn’t be overlooked.

Those who miss school more often will spend less time learning, and are likely to face academic struggles as a result. A lower immune system can also work to reduce energy levels, which
certainly doesn’t help during a busy school day. Minimized social activity is another aspect to
consider too, since school is one of the best places for children to socialize.

As well as absenteeism, children with a weaker immune system can find that they have less energy
and are therefore more inclined to skip out school. This leads to less time in learning and developing.
Simply put, a child’s immune system can be vital to their education.

How can you improve your immune system?

With this in mind, it’s well worth taking a look at a few of the things that generally cause weaker
immune systems in children. Diet, lifestyle, and exercise are just 3 great examples; all of which can
be worked on to help the body fight off illnesses.

Diet

Eating healthily can be important for a wide variety of reasons, and can be of benefit to the immune
systems of both children and adults of all ages. It’s far more common in the modern world for
people to pay little attention to what they eat and drink on a daily basis, and this can be truer where
children are concerned. Simply put, a lack of nutrients can result in reducing the activity and
production of immune cells and antibodies (which are the body’s immune system cells).

Lifestyle

If a child feels stressed out, anxious, or depressed, there’s a chance that these feelings could be
impacting more than just their mental wellbeing – corticosteroid, a stress hormone, can reduce the
effectiveness of their immune system, too. If this is the case, the body’s ability to fight off antigens
will be lessened.

Exercise

Another issue that’s more common in recent generations is a lack of exercise. Physical activity can
have an impact in quite a few ways when considering reducing illness; with one key factor being that
exercise can cause changes in antibodies and white blood cells. Essentially, exercise is also a crucial
part of a well-functioning immune system.

Closing Thoughts

Overall, there is significant evidence that a weaker immune system contributes to higher
absenteeism in school. This can have many long-term consequences, which makes it vital to ensure
that a child’s immune system is well developed.