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Financial impacts and community resources utilization of children with feeding difficulties
June Okada1, Erin Wilson1, John Wong1
1MGH Institute of Health Professions, Charlestown, MA, USA.
Insights
Children with pediatric feeding difficulties face significant financial burdens and increased use of community resources. These findings highlight the need for tailored interventions to support affected families and improve child outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Pediatric feeding difficulties represent a significant challenge for children and their families.
- Understanding the associated financial impacts and community resource utilization is crucial for effective support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between pediatric feeding difficulties and financial strain.
- To examine the relationship between pediatric feeding difficulties and the utilization of community resources.
Main Methods:
- Secondary analysis of the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data.
- Inclusion of 14,960 children aged 0-5 years from a nationally representative sample.
- Multivariable logistic regression analysis controlling for sociodemographic factors.
Main Results:
- Children with feeding difficulties showed higher odds of out-of-pocket costs (≥$1000) (OR: 3.01).
- Caregivers of children with feeding difficulties had increased odds of leaving employment (OR: 3.16).
- Feeding difficulties were associated with higher odds of food insufficiency (OR: 1.67) and receiving special education/developmental services (OR: 3.98).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric feeding difficulties are linked to substantial financial impacts on families.
- Children with feeding difficulties demonstrate increased reliance on community resources and support services.
- Findings underscore the necessity for family-centered interventions to mitigate financial burdens and enhance care for children with feeding challenges.
Background:
To examine the extent to which financial impacts and community resources utilization are associated with pediatric feeding difficulties. We hypothesize that children with feeding difficulties will have more financial impacts and community resources utilization than children without feeding difficulties.
Methods:
We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2017-2018 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) regarding 14,960 children 0-5 years. NSCH utilized random sampling of families across the United States to collect nationally representative data. Outcomes included out-of-pocket costs, caregivers leaving a job due to the child's health, food insufficiency, receival of food or cash assistance, and receival of special education and/or developmental services. We used a multivariable logistic regression controlling for sociodemographic factors to examine the associations of feeding difficulties with financial impacts and community resources utilization outcomes.
Results:
Out of 14,690 respondents, children were a mean (SD) age of 2.53(0.03) years and 1.7% reported feeding difficulties. These children had higher odds of having out-of-pocket costs of ≥$1000 (OR: 3.01; 95% CI: 1.61, 5.62), having a caregiver that left a job due to their child's health (OR: 3.16; 95% CI: 2.01, 4.98), experiencing food insufficiency (OR: 1.67; 95% CI: 1.03, 2.71), and receiving special education and/or developmental services (OR 3.98; 95% CI: 2.46, 6.45) than children without feeding difficulties.
Conclusions:
Children with feeding difficulties are more likely to have financial impacts and community resources utilization than children without feeding difficulties. This information can be used to tailor interventions to improve family-centered care and outcomes for children.
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