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[Vulnerabilities of children admitted to a pediatric inpatient care unit]
Larissa Natacha de Oliveira1, Márcia Koja Breigeiron2, Sofia Hallmann1
1Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brasil.
Insights
Most children admitted to a pediatric unit experience social vulnerabilities, often linked to caregiver education and financial status. Addressing these needs requires integrated hospital and primary healthcare support systems.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric healthcare
- Social determinants of health
- Vulnerability assessment
Background:
- Children admitted to pediatric inpatient units may face various vulnerabilities.
- Understanding these vulnerabilities is crucial for effective care planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify and characterize the vulnerabilities of children in a pediatric inpatient unit.
- To inform the development of targeted support strategies.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted with 36 children (30 days to 12 years) and their caregivers.
- Data on sociocultural, socioeconomic, and clinical factors were collected via interviews and patient records.
- Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis.
Main Results:
- A high prevalence of vulnerability was observed, with 97.1% of children exhibiting at least one vulnerability.
- Common vulnerabilities included caregiver's education level, financial situation, child's health history, and caregiver substance use.
- Only 2.9% of children showed no classified vulnerabilities.
Conclusions:
- The majority of children in this cohort presented with social vulnerabilities.
- Establishing collaborative networks between hospitals and primary healthcare is essential.
- Healthcare practices should be tailored to address the identified needs of children and their families.
Objective:
To identify the vulnerabilities of children admitted to a pediatric inpatient unit of a university hospital.
Methods:
Cross-sectional, descriptive study from April to September 2013 with 36 children aged 30 days to 12 years old, admitted to medical-surgical pediatric inpatient units of a university hospital and their caregivers. Data concerning sociocultural, socioeconomic and clinical context of children and their families were collected by interview with the child caregiver and from patients' records, and analyzed by descriptive statistics.
Results:
Of the total sample, 97.1% (n=132) of children had at least one type of vulnerability, the majority related to the caregiver's level of education, followed by caregiver's financial situation, health history of the child, caregiver's family situation, use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drugs by the caregiver, family's living conditions, caregiver's schooling, and bonding between the caregiver and the child. Only 2.9% (n=4) of the children did not show any criteria to be classified in a category of vulnerability.
Conclusions:
Most children were classified has having a social vulnerability. It is imperative to create networks of support between the hospital and the primary healthcare service to promote healthcare practices directed to the needs of the child and family.
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