Association between sociodemographic factors and exposures and utilization of poison centers in Texas, 1998-2002

This study evaluated whether selected sociodemographic factors and exposures may be associated with utilization of poison centers in Texas during 1998-2002. Data were obtained from the six poison centers that service the entire state. Cases were all human exposures where the caller county was known. The utilization rate (calls per 1000 population) was calculated for the entire state and for each county. Counties were then grouped into those with utilization rates lower than the utilization rate for the entire state and those with utilization rates higher than the rate for the entire state. The two groups were then compared with respect to sociodemographic factors derived from the 2000 Census and exposure categories derived from the poison centers. The group of counties with lower utilization rates had a lower population density, higher African-American and Hispanic populations, lower median household incomes, and higher percentage of the population who spoke a language other than English at home and spoke English less than "very well." Gender, age, and education factors were not related to utilization rates, and the most frequently reported exposure categories were similar between counties with lower and higher utilization rates. This information can be used to focus education and prevention efforts at those populations with lower utilization of the Texas Poison Center Network.