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Measuring the Functional Abilities of Children Aged 3-6 Years Old with Observational Methods and Computer Tools
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Iron status, development, and behavior in young children in the Pennsylvania foster care system

Amrita Arcot1, Xueyi Xing2, Xiang Gao1,3

  • 1Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America.

Plos One
|August 17, 2023
PubMed

Insights

Anemia affects 2.7% of children in Pennsylvania foster care. Anemia is linked to developmental delays and behavioral issues, including adjustment disorder and irritability.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Child Development
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Children in foster care are a vulnerable population with significant physical and mental health challenges.
  • Nutritional status, particularly anemia, is understudied in this population.
  • Few studies have quantified anemia prevalence or examined its link to developmental and behavioral outcomes in U.S. foster care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of anemia in children aged six months to ten years in or adopted from Pennsylvania foster care.
  • To investigate the association between anemia status and developmental and behavioral diagnoses in this cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Secondary data analysis of the Medicaid Analytic eXtract database (2010-2015).
  • Inclusion criteria: Children aged six months to ten years in or adopted from Pennsylvania foster care.
  • Logistic regression used to calculate adjusted odds ratios for health outcomes.

Main Results:

  • A total of 50,311 children were analyzed; 2.7% (1,365) had anemia.
  • Children with anemia showed higher odds of delayed milestones (AOR: 2.38), specific developmental delays (AOR: 1.59), adjustment disorder (AOR: 1.59), and irritability (AOR: 10.57).

Conclusions:

  • Anemia prevalence in Pennsylvania foster care children aligns with national rates.
  • Anemia is associated with increased odds of developmental delays and behavioral diagnoses in children in foster care.
Abstract

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