Factors Influencing Low Prevalence of Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Among US Hispanic/Latino Children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Neurodevelopmental Disabilities
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Hispanic/Latino (H/L) children exhibit lower prevalence of neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) compared to other demographic groups.
• Explanations for this disparity are complex, potentially involving nativity, language barriers, and healthcare access/utilization.
• Limited research has jointly investigated how these social and environmental factors predict NDD in H/L children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine whether social and environmental factors explain the lower prevalence of NDD in Hispanic/Latino children.
• To compare NDD prevalence between white and H/L children.
• To determine if nativity, healthcare access, healthcare utilization, and language barriers account for the observed disability disparity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized nationally representative Integrated Public Use Microdata Series National Health Interview Survey data (N=200,622).
• Employed multivariate logistic regression analysis.
• Compared NDD prevalence in white and H/L children (average age 10.2), analyzing the influence of social and environmental factors.

Main Results:

• The NDD disparity between H/L and white children was not explained by differences in healthcare access, utilization, or language barriers.
• H/L children with a US-born sampled adult showed lower NDD rates than white children.
• H/L children with a non-US-born sampled adult had an even lower probability of NDD compared to US-born H/L children.

Conclusions:

• Findings suggest cultural differences in disability understanding or differential healthcare treatment may influence NDD prevalence in H/L populations.
• Healthcare access and language barriers do not appear to explain the lower NDD rates in H/L children.
• Emphasizes the need for accessible and culturally competent health interventions for H/L communities.