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Characteristics of children having multiple Medicaid-paid asthma hospitalizations
A Chabra1, G F Chávez, E J Adams
1California Department of Health Services, Maternal and Child Health Branch, Sacramento, USA. achabra@ix.netcom.com
Insights
Poor minority children, particularly African Americans and Latinos, face a higher risk of multiple asthma hospitalizations compared to white children. Targeted interventions are crucial for these vulnerable populations to reduce repeat hospital admissions.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Health Disparities
- Respiratory Medicine
Background:
- Asthma is a significant cause of hospitalization in children.
- Understanding risk factors for recurrent asthma hospitalizations is crucial for effective public health interventions.
- Socioeconomic and racial disparities may influence asthma outcomes in pediatric populations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize children with multiple asthma hospitalizations.
- To determine if poor minority children have a higher risk of multiple asthma hospitalizations compared to poor white children.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1994 California hospital discharge data.
- Included 1- to 12-year-old Medicaid patients with asthma hospitalizations (N=6844).
- Logistic regression used to calculate risk factors for multiple hospitalizations.
Main Results:
- Asthma accounted for 11.6% of Medicaid hospitalizations for children aged 1-12 in California.
- African American and Latino children had a higher risk of multiple asthma hospitalizations than white children (OR 1.93 and 1.34, respectively).
- Emergency room admissions (OR 1.35) were associated with increased risk of multiple hospitalizations.
Conclusions:
- Risk for multiple asthma hospitalizations was greater among African American and Latino children compared to white children.
- Intervention programs targeting these specific populations may reduce repeat asthma hospitalizations.
- Addressing health disparities is essential for improving asthma care outcomes in children.
Objectives:
We undertook this population-based study to describe the characteristics of poor children with multiple asthma hospitalizations and to discern if poor minority children have a greater risk for these events than poor white children.
Methods:
We conducted a retrospective analysis of 1994 California hospital discharge data for asthma hospitalizations among 1 to 12-year-old Medicaid patients (N = 6844 discharges). Risk factors for multiple Medicaid asthma hospitalizations were calculated by using logistic regression procedures.
Results:
In 1994, asthma hospitalizations accounted for 11.6% of Medicaid-funded hospitalizations for 1 to 12-year-olds in California. These hospitalizations had a mean length of 2.7 days and a mean hospital charge of $6532. After we controlled for source of admission and length of stay, African American children (OR, 1.93; 95% CI 1.49-2.49) and Latino children (OR, 1.34; 95% CI 1.04-1.72) had a higher risk of multiple Medicaid-paid hospitalizations for asthma than did white children. Adjusted odds ratios for multiple asthma hospitalizations were 1.35 (CI, 1.05-1.74) for children with emergency room admissions, and 1.16 (CI, 0.97-1.39) for children having hospital stays of at least 5 days duration.
Conclusions:
Among children with Medicaid-paid hospitalizations for asthma, the risk for multiple asthma hospitalizations within a year was greater among African Americans and Latinos than among whites. Programs attempting to decrease repeat hospitalizations for asthma may benefit by focusing on these populations.