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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Li-Ching Lee, PhD, ScM¹, Craig J. Newschaffer, PhD, MS¹, and Angeline B. David, MHS². (1) Department of Epidemiology/ Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Suite E6032, Baltimore, MD 21205, 410-502-0605, llee2@jhsph.edu, (2) Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 N. Wolfe St., Suite E6033, Baltimore, MD 21205

Relationships between developmental psychopathology (DP), developmental disabilities (DD), and childhood psychiatric disorders (CPD) have been well documented. The combination of DP and CPD has also been reported as a comorbidity of physical health conditions (PHC). However, it is not clear whether DP contributes to PHC in the absence of CPD or DD. To investigate the extent to which DP is independently associated with PHC, this study analyzed data from the National Survey of Children's Health. DP was measured by internalizing and externalizing emotional problems (IEP, EEP), and PHC included asthma, respiratory, digestive and skin allergies, diabetes, severe/migraine headaches, and ear infection. Prevalence for each PHC is: asthma 12.8%, respiratory allergy 17.0%, digestive allergy 3.0%, skin allergy 8.3%, diabetes 0.4%, severe/migraine headaches 5.7%, ear infection 2.4%, and any of the above PHC 34.3%. To limit analyses to children without CPD or DD, children with the following conditions were excluded: autism, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, hearing or vision problems, and speech problems. As a result, 56,286 children aged 6-17 were included in the analysis. Multivariate results indicated that elevated IEP and EEP were consistently associated with PHC. Modification effects of age and gender varied across different PHC; however, the associations between DP and PHC were, in general, higher in girls than in boys. DP, independent of CPD and DD, is a risk factor for various physical medical conditions during childhood and adolescence. Treatment and intervention targeted at psychopathology may protect against future physical as well as psychiatric morbidities in children and adolescents.

Learning Objectives:

• To recognize the association between developmental psychopathology and physical health conditions during childhood and adolescence.
• To prioritize risk factors for intervention programs designed for promoting health in children and adolescents.

Keywords: Children and Adolescents, Psychological Indicators

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.pdf format, 129.7 kb)