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Developmental Disabilities Are Associated with Higher Unmet Social Needs in Children

Alexandra L Falkenberg1, Samantha R Levano2, Miya Lemberg3

  • 1Rose F. Kennedy Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Bronx, NY.

The Journal of Pediatrics
|September 17, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Pediatric patients with developmental disabilities (DD) are more than twice as likely to report health-related social needs (HRSN) compared to primary care patients. Health systems should implement strategies to identify and address these critical needs in children with DD.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Health
  • Health Disparities
  • Social Determinants of Health

Background:

  • Health-related social needs (HRSN) significantly impact pediatric health outcomes.
  • Developmental disabilities (DD) may be associated with increased vulnerability to HRSN.
  • Understanding HRSN prevalence in pediatric populations is crucial for equitable care.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the likelihood of reporting at least one HRSN between pediatric patients with developmental disabilities (DD) and those in primary care (PC).
  • To quantify the association between DD status and the self-reporting of HRSN in a pediatric cohort.

Main Methods:

  • Cross-sectional study in a large urban health system, comparing patients with DD (n=1420) and PC patients (n=32,143).
  • Utilized a standardized HRSN screener assessing housing, utilities, food, transportation, cost, care, and legal needs.
  • Employed multivariable logistic regression analysis, adjusting for sociodemographic factors.

Main Results:

  • 30.0% of pediatric patients with DD reported at least one HRSN, compared to 12.6% of PC patients.
  • Pediatric patients with DD had 2.49 times greater odds of reporting at least one HRSN (95% CI: 2.20, 2.82).

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric patients with developmental disabilities face a significantly higher burden of health-related social needs.
  • Health systems must develop targeted workflows to identify and address HRSN in children with DD.
  • Further research is warranted to explore underlying factors contributing to this disparity.
Abstract

Keywords:
health-related social needsprimary caresocial determinants of health

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