Survey drivers: Using one tool to learn about children across multiple populations in the defined geographic area of North Texas

Background: Cook Children’s Center for Children’s Health developed the Community-wide Children’s Health Assessment and Planning Survey (CCHAPS) as a tool to evaluate children’s health needs within the region.  The survey was administered to households in 2008 and 2012.  In 2008, CCHAPS collected data from additional populations –patients of Cook Children’s Hospital, homeless, and undocumented populations.  The CCHAPS data is used to identify priorities in children’s health within the community, and direct efforts to develop solutions that specifically target these priorities and monitor future progress.  

Methods:  The special populations were compared to the 2008 household population based on demographic factors. Within the 2012 household survey population, logistic regression was used to examine the association between each question on the survey and the response to the question “In general, how would you describe this child’s health?”. 

Results: The patient population was found to be similar to the household survey population in race, but the patient population was lower in parent education and household income.  While many factors were found to be significantly associated with the child’s overall health, physical health factors such as asthma, chronic physical conditions that limit activity, and special health needs were found to have the greatest effect on parent perception of overall health.

Conclusion: In response to the data findings, each county in the surveyed region has formed coalitions to bring stakeholders together to improve the health of children.  Understanding the factors that influence parents’ perception of overall health will help to inform future iterations of the survey.