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Chronic disease and disability in children. Are the risks increasing?
Mobius
|June 9, 1984
Summary
The number of children with disabling chronic conditions has doubled in 25 years. While some increase is due to survey changes, a genuine rise in childhood chronic disease prevalence is likely.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health Surveillance
- Epidemiology
Background:
- National household health surveys reveal a significant increase in childhood chronic conditions over 25 years.
- This trend represents a potentially severe public health challenge requiring investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in childhood disabling chronic conditions.
- To evaluate potential explanations for the observed increase in prevalence.
- To inform future public health interventions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of data from the nation's largest household health survey.
- Evaluation of artifactual causes (e.g., changes in survey procedures).
- Assessment of genuine changes in disease prevalence.
Main Results:
- The number of children with disabling chronic conditions has doubled over the past 25 years.
- Changes in survey procedures account for some of the reported increase.
- A substantial portion of the increase likely reflects a true rise in chronic disease prevalence among children.
Conclusions:
- The doubling of disabling chronic conditions in children warrants attention.
- Both survey methodology and genuine prevalence changes contribute to the trend.
- Future research should focus on health promotion strategies targeting identified contributing factors.