Young adults with special health care needs: prevalence, severity, and access to health services

Health care needs of disabled young adults and access to care are analyzed using the 1984 National Health Interview Survey, a nationally representative sample of 10,394 randomly selected noninstitutionalized young adults aged 19 to 24. In 1984, 1.4 million young adults (almost 6%) suffered from disabilities. The leading cause of disability was diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue. Young adults living in poverty, in households where the family reference person had less than a high school education, and who were male were at elevated risk of disability. Disabled young adults made almost three times as many physician contacts and were hospitalized for close to six times as many days as nondisabled young adults. One of every 5 disabled young adults was uninsured in 1984. Forty-one percent of disabled Hispanic 19- to 24-year-olds and 51% of disabled young adults of other races were uninsured compared with 19% of whites and blacks. Research and financing policy implications are discussed.