Can the Care Need Index Identify Healthcare Centres With Higher Proportions of Children at Risk?

To examine the association between the widely used social deprivation index, the Child Adjusted Care Need Index, and healthcare centres with a higher proportion of children with specific health risk factors monitored within the Swedish Child Health Services.

Data on health outcomes and index scores were obtained from the Swedish Child Health Services Register and grouped by healthcare centre. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between index scores and various health outcomes.

The index partly explained the variation in the proportion of children exposed to second-hand smoke and those who failed language screening. However, associations between the index and the proportions of overweight, obese or non-breastfed children were weak.

The Child Adjusted Care Need Index may be useful in identifying centres with higher proportions of children at risk for second-hand smoke exposure and failures in language screening. However, it appears less effective in identifying centres with higher proportions of children at risk for overweight, obesity or not being breastfed. This calls for further research on the Child Adjusted Care Need Index and other sociodemographic factors that affect children's health in order to improve resource allocation, guided by the principles of proportionate universalism.