Children With Chronic Health Conditions and Social Needs: Investigating Outcomes to Drive Health System Improvements

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Social Determinants of Health
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Children with chronic health conditions (CHCs) represent a significant healthcare resource.
• Limited data exist on the association between CHC diagnoses and social needs.
• Optimizing health outcomes for this population requires understanding these links.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the association between CHC diagnoses and the presence of social needs in pediatric patients.
• To identify specific CHCs associated with a higher likelihood of social needs.
• To inform health systems on screening priorities for at-risk families.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study of 19,779 pediatric patients screened for social needs in an urban health system.
• Logistic regression analysis used to assess the relationship between CHC diagnoses (independent variables) and social need (dependent variable).

Main Results:

• 20% of children with CHCs (2247 out of 11,071) identified unmet social needs.
• Children with CHCs were significantly more likely to have social needs (adjusted odds ratio: 1.56; 95% CI: 1.44-1.68).
• Autism/developmental delay, anxiety/depression, and asthma were linked to the highest prevalence of social needs.

Conclusions:

• Health systems should implement screening for social needs in pediatric patients, especially those with CHCs.
• Targeted screening for conditions like autism/developmental delay, anxiety/depression, and asthma can identify families requiring support.
• Addressing social needs is essential for improving health outcomes in children with chronic health conditions.