Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106707

Karen Kuhlthau, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, Harvard University, School of Medicine, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 901, Boston, MA 02114, (617) 726-1885, kkuhlthau@partners.org, Kristen Hill, MPH, Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy, MassGeneral Hospital for Children, 50 Staniford Street, Suite 901, Boston, MA 02114, Whitney Witt, PhD, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, 750 North Lake Shore Drive, Suite 601, Chicago, IL 60611-2611, Robert Kahn, MD, Division of General and Community Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, and Recai Yucel, PhD, Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts-Amherst School of Public Health, 715 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA 01003.

Background: The prevalence of childhood disability has substantially increased, creating an increase in the number of parental caregivers. While caring for a child with a disability often involves additional demands on parents, we know little about how these demands influence parental well-being and use of preventive health care.

Objective: To describe the health, well-being, and patterns of preventive health care use among parental caregivers of children with disabilities.

Methods: We analyze 5 years of Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data. We examine parental outcomes (general health and use of preventative services) by whether the child has a disability (as measured by limitations in functioning). We further examine selected indicators in a multivariate context.

Results: Parents with children with disabilities have lower self-reported quality of life and more reports of activity limitation than other parents. While not large, differences in the SF12 PCS are statistically significant and remain so after controlling for demographic characteristics, poverty, insurance, and health insurance. In addition, these parents report slightly more preventative visits.

Conclusions: The slightly worse health status of parents of children with disabilities may be due to increased stress, direct effects of caring, or other reasons. Yet these same parents appear to take better care of themselves than other parents. This may be related to increased familiarity with the health care system as a result of their child's condition or that parental providers are more vigilant about getting parents in for routine physical exams to ensure that their health status does not worsen.

Learning Objectives:

• Participants will be able to describe how the health and well-being of parents of children with disabilities differs from other parents.

Keywords: Caregivers, Children With Special Needs

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation