From Clinical Practice to Community Action: Addressing Diaper Insecurity Through Pediatric Primary Care

Area of Science:

• Community health
• Public health initiatives
• Social determinants of health

Background:

• Diaper insecurity impacts child health and well-being.
• 46% of families reported diaper insecurity in 2023, highlighting a growing concern.
• Community-based diaper distribution events aim to alleviate this issue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the reach of community-based diaper distribution events.
• To assess the role of social drivers of health (SDOH) screening in primary care.
• To understand the implications of SDOH screening for integrated care.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of registration data from 6 diaper distribution events (July 2023 - July 2024).
• Utilized mapping and statistical analyses with ArcGIS Pro 3.2.1 and R.
• Examined reach across zip codes and demographic characteristics of recipients.

Main Results:

• 2793 children received diapers across 42 zip codes.
• Recipients were predominantly Spanish-speaking (54.5%), Hispanic (63.6%), and enrolled in WIC (71.28%) and Medicaid (53.46%).
• 33.6% of families resided in areas with low educational opportunity.

Conclusions:

• Community diaper distribution events demonstrate significant reach.
• Broader social drivers of health screening is crucial in primary care settings.
• Many families have unmet needs, even in areas with moderate socio-economic opportunity, underscoring the need for integrated care solutions.