Impact of predisposing, enabling, and need factors in accessing preventive medical care among U.S. children: results of the national survey of children's health
2008

Factors Affecting Access to Preventive Medical Care for U.S. Children

Sample size: 85151 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Lo Ka-Ming, Fulda Kimberly G

Primary Institution: University of North Texas Health Science Center

Hypothesis

Which predisposing, enabling, and need factors affect access to preventive health care for children?

Conclusion

Older children in regions with low household education and poverty levels experience insufficient preventive health care.

Supporting Evidence

  • 63,924 out of 85,151 subjects received preventive medical care.
  • Age was negatively associated with receiving care in all regions.
  • Household education and race affected access to care in multiple regions.
  • Having a personal doctor or nurse was positively associated with receiving care.

Takeaway

This study looked at what makes it hard for kids in the U.S. to get check-ups and preventive care, finding that things like age and family education matter a lot.

Methodology

Data were obtained from the National Survey of Children's Health, using logistic regression to analyze factors affecting access to preventive care.

Potential Biases

Potential recall bias due to data being collected from a household member rather than medical records.

Limitations

The study is cross-sectional, which limits conclusions about cause and effect, and relies on self-reported data, which may introduce recall bias.

Participant Demographics

Children aged 3 to 17 years from various socioeconomic backgrounds across the U.S.

Statistical Information

Confidence Interval

95% CI: various

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1750-4732-2-12

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