The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56742

Jacqueline L. Stock, MPH¹, Shervin Churchill, MPH¹, and Stacey DeFries, MSW². (1) Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, Center for Children with Special Needs, POB 50020 MS S219, Seattle, WA 98145-5020, (206) 987-5327, jacquie.stock@seattlechildrens.org, (2) Children with Special Health Care Needs Program, Washington State Department of Health, POB 47880 MS 7880, Olympia, WA 98504

Objective: To test an approach for assessing epidemiology and household risk factors for children with special health care needs (CSHCN) the Washington State Department of Health CSHCN Program included questions about children with chronic conditions in the 2000 Washington State Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey. Methods: Data from the survey were analyzed to measure prevalence of children with chronic conditions (CCC) among households, characteristics of CCC, and demographic and health characteristic differences between households with a CCC and those without. Results: Among respondents familiar with the health of children in their household (n=1,245), 12% had at least one CCC. The majority of CCC, 63%, was male. Mean age for CCC was 9.44 years (SD=4.62). Seventy three percent of CCC needed or used more medical care, mental health, or educational services than usual for children their age. Respondents with a CCC were significantly (OR=.58, CI=.37,.91) less likely to have a college degree and more likely to report a larger household size (4.5 vs. 4.1, p=.01). Respondents with a CCC were significantly more likely to report their general health as fair to poor, to report fewer days of good mental health in the past month, and to be current tobacco smokers. Conclusions: The BRFSS survey can provide important epidemiological information about CSHCN and adults with whom they live, as well as environmental factors pertinent to child and adult health. Findings highlight the need for tobacco cessation and mental health promotion resources for families of children with special health care needs.

Learning Objectives:

At session’s end, participants will be able to:
• Describe how the BRFSS survey can be used to assess public health information for children with special health care needs.
• List at least two important prevention areas to target for adults who live with a child with special health care needs.
• Describe two demographic characteristics of some households with children with special health care needs that may influence prevention measures.

Keywords: Children With Special Needs, Survey

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Handout (.ppt format, 12928.0 kb)