Lipid Testing among Youth in Medicaid: The Role of Social Determinants of Health and Providers.

OBJECTIVES: To assess recent temporal trends in guideline-compliant pediatric lipid testing, and to examine the influence of social determinants of health (SDoH) and provider characteristics on the likelihood of testing in youth. STUDY DESIGN: In this observational, multi-year cross-sectional study, we calculated lipid testing prevalence by year among 268,627 12-year-olds from 2015 through 2019 who were enrolled in Florida Medicaid and eligible for universal lipid screening during age 9 to 11, and 11,437 22-year-olds (2017-2019) who were eligible for screening during age 17-21. We compared trends in testing prevalence by SDoH and health risk factors at two recommended ages and modeled the associations between patient characteristics and provider type on lipid testing using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Testing among 12-year-olds remained low between 2015 through 2019 with the highest prevalence in 2015 (8.0%) and lowest in 2017 (6.7%). Screening compliance among 22-year-olds was highest in 2017 (21.1%) and fell to 17.8% in 2019. Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks in both age groups had about 2-3% lower testing prevalence than non-Hispanic Whites. Testing in 12-year-olds was 12.3% versus 7.7% with and without obesity, and 14.4% versus 7.6% with and without antipsychotic use. Participants who saw providers who were more likely to prescribe lipid testing were more likely to receive testing (odds ratio=2.3, 95% CI 2.0-2.8, P<.001). CONCLUSIONS: Although lipid testing prevalence was greatest among high-risk children, overall prevalence of lipid testing in youth remains very low. Provider specialty and choices by individual providers play important roles in improving guideline-compliant pediatric lipid testing.

A Pilot Test of a Workshop for Pediatric Clinicians About Communicating with Parents About the HPV Vaccine Using the C-LEAR Approach.

Low HPV vaccinations rates lead to missed opportunities to prevent cancer. Specifically, some parents (12-76%) report never receiving a recommendation for their child to receive the vaccine. Current models for talking about HPV vaccination fall short in that they focus primarily on how to introduce the vaccine with limited guidance on how to follow through with the conversation, particularly with those parents who may be hesitant. We developed the C-LEAR approach, an easy to remember, evidence-informed mnemonic to guide clinicians through the process of introducing and discussing the HPV vaccine with parents. We pilot tested this approach with a total of 20 pediatric clinicians (n = 13 residents; n = 7 attendings) in 60-min Zoom workshops that included a short didactic session, a demonstration of skills, and a small group, facilitator-led role play session. On an immediate post-training survey, all participants stated that the training was helpful and easy to understand. Ninety-four percent responded that they would implement what they had learned in their clinic. Participants reported appreciation for the small group sessions. While not specifically asked or required to incorporate the material into their practice, 1 year following the training, 8/9 (88%) participants reported using the C-LEAR approach in their clinics "most" or "all of the time." We are further testing this model through teaching our workshop in a large, randomized trial across the state of Florida.

Messaging preferences among Florida caregivers participating in focus groups who had not yet accepted the HPV vaccine for their 11- to 12-year-old child.

BACKGROUND: In the United States, human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates remain low. The President's Cancer Panel suggests that effective messaging about the HPV vaccination focus on the vaccine's safety, efficacy, ability to prevent cancer, and recommendation at ages 11- to 12-years. We aimed to develop messages about HPV vaccine that include the President Cancer Panel's suggestions and were acceptable to caregivers of adolescents. METHODS: From August to October 2020, we conducted one-hour, Zoom videoconference focus groups with caregivers who lived in Florida, had an 11- to 12-year-old child, and had not had any of their children receive the HPV vaccine. Focus group moderators asked caregivers to react to three videos of clinician (i.e., MD, DO, APRN, PA) recommendations and three text message reminders. Thematic analysis was conducted using the constant comparative method and led by one author with qualitative analysis expertise. Two additional authors validated findings. RESULTS: Caregivers (n = 25 in six groups) were primarily non-Hispanic white (84%) and educated (64% had at least an Associate's degree). Approximately a third of caregivers had delayed (44%) or decided against a vaccine for their child (36%). Caregivers described six preferred message approaches: recognize caregivers' autonomy, balanced benefits and risks, trustworthy sources, increased feasibility of appointment scheduling, information prior to decision point, and preferred personalized information. Caregivers expressed a desire to have the follow-up doses mentioned in the introduction. CONCLUSIONS: HPV vaccine messages, whether delivered by a clinician or via text message, will be more acceptable to caregivers if they approach HPV vaccination as the caregivers' decision, and include information from trusted sources to help caregivers make an informed choice.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Are Associated with Cardiometabolic Risk among Hispanic American Adolescents.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and cardiometabolic risk among Hispanic adolescents. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted at an academic research center in Gainesville, Florida. Participants were locally recruited, and data were collected from June 2016 to July 2018. Participants (n = 133, 60.2% female) were healthy adolescents aged 15-21 years who self-identified as Hispanic, were born in the US, and had a body mass index (BMI) between ≥18.5 and ≤40 kg/m2. Primary outcomes were BMI, body fat percentage, waist circumference, and resting blood pressure. Associations between ACEs and cardiometabolic measures were assessed by multivariable logistic regression models, which controlled for sex, age, parental education, and food insecurity. Results were sex-stratified to assess potential variations. RESULTS: Reporting ≥4 ACEs (28.6%) was significantly associated with a greater BMI (P = .004), body fat percentage (P = .02), and diastolic blood pressure (P = .05) compared with reporting <4 ACEs. Female participants reporting ≥4 ACEs were significantly more likely to have a greater BMI (P = .04) and body fat percentage (P = .03) whereas male participants reporting ≥4 ACEs were significantly more likely to have a greater BMI (P = .04), systolic blood pressure (P = .03), and diastolic blood pressure (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Hispanic adolescent participants who experienced ≥4 ACEs were more likely to have elevated risk markers of obesity and cardiometabolic disease. Further research is needed to elucidate the physiological mechanisms driving these relationships.

Considerations to Support Use of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pediatric Measures in Ambulatory Clinics.

OBJECTIVE: To identify challenges to the use of Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric measures in the ambulatory pediatric setting and possible solutions to these challenges. STUDY DESIGN: Eighteen semistructured telephone interviews of health system leaders, measurement implementers, and ambulatory pediatric clinicians were conducted. Five coders used applied thematic analysis to iteratively identify and refine themes in interview data. RESULTS: Most interviewees had roles in leadership or the implementation of patient-centered outcomes; 39% were clinicians. Some had experience using PROMIS clinically (44%) and 6% were considering this use. Analyses yielded 6 themes: (1) selection of PROMIS measures, (2) method of administration, (3) use of PROMIS Parent Proxy measures, (4) privacy and confidentiality of PROMIS responses, (5) interpretation of PROMIS scores, and (6) using PROMIS scores clinically. Within the themes, interviewees illuminated specific unique considerations for using PROMIS with children, including care transitions and privacy. CONCLUSIONS: Real-world challenges continue to hamper PROMIS use. Ongoing efforts to disseminate information about the integration of PROMIS measures in clinical care is critical to impacting the health of children.

A feasibility trial of parent HPV vaccine reminders and phone-based motivational interviewing.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a sequential approach of parent-targeted HPV vaccine reminders and phone-based Motivation Interviewing (MI). METHODS: In 2016, we selected all 11- to 12-year-old boys and girls seen in one clinic whose vaccine records did not include the HPV vaccine (n=286). By gender, we individually randomized parents of adolescents to an interactive text message (74 girls and 45 boys), postcard reminder (46 boys and no girls because of previously demonstrated efficacy), or standard care group (75 girls and 46 boys). Reminders were sent with medical director permission and a HIPAA waiver. Two months after reminders, among the adolescents whose vaccine records still did not include the HPV vaccine, we selected a gender-stratified random sample of 20 parents for phone-based MI. We assessed the percentage of deliverable messages, the percentage of parents' responding to the interactive text message, parent acceptability of receiving a text message, and MI parent responsiveness and interviewer competence (MI Treatment Integrity Coding system). RESULTS: Nearly all messages were deliverable (98% of postcards and 74% of text messages). Six of the 88 parents (7%) receiving text messages scheduled an appointment through our interactive system. The acceptability survey response rate was 37% (38/102). Respondents were favorable toward vaccine reminders for all parents (82%). Among 20 sampled parents, 17 were reached by phone of whom 7 completed MI, 4 had or were getting the HPV vaccine for their child, and 5 expressed disinterest. Across the 7 MI calls, the interviewer was rated 100% MI adherent and scored an average 4.19 rating for Global Spirit. CONCLUSION: Without providing explicit consent to receive vaccine-related messages, parents nonetheless found postcards and interactive text messages acceptable. Centralizing MI to phone calls with trained staff was acceptable to parents and resulted in highly MI-adherent interviews.

Specific adverse childhood experiences and their association with other adverse childhood experiences, asthma and emotional, developmental and behavioral problems in childhood.

BACKGROUND: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have lifelong health consequences, yet screening remains challenging. Particularly in clinical settings, brief screeners that could lead to comprehensive assessments may be more feasible. We explore how two ACEs (economic hardship, parental/caregiver divorce/separation) are associated with other ACEs, asthma, and emotional, developmental, or behavioral (EDB) problems. METHODS: Using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health, we assessed the associations between ACEs and asthma and EDB problems and calculated sensitivities, specificities and predictive values. RESULTS: Parents frequently reported 1+ ACEs for their child (50.3%). Individual ACE frequency ranged from 4.2 to 29.6%; all were significantly associated with EDB problems (adjusted odds ratios (aORs): 2.2-5.1) and more ACEs confirmed higher odds. Two ACES (economic hardship, parental/caregiver divorce/separation) co-occurred frequently with other ACEs, having either predicted EDB problems similarly to other ACEs (aORs 1.8; 95% CI 1.4, 2.3) and having both greatly increased odds (aOR 3.8; 95% CI 2.8, 5.2). The negative predictive value of EDB problems associated with citing neither ACE was high (95.7%). Similar trends with asthma were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Economic hardship and caregiver separation are strongly associated with other ACEs, EDB problems and asthma. A brief screener including these ACEs may reduce clinical barriers to broader ACEs screening.

Variation in Tdap and Influenza Vaccination Coverage Among Pregnant Women by Insurance Type - Florida, 2016-2018.

Infants are at increased risk for pertussis-associated morbidity and mortality, and pregnant women and their infants are more likely than other patient populations to experience severe influenza-related illness (1,2). The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that all women receive the tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine during each pregnancy, preferably during the early part of gestational weeks 27-36 (3). ACIP also recommends that women who are or might be pregnant during the influenza season receive the inactivated influenza vaccine at any time during pregnancy (4). Despite these recommendations, coverage with Tdap and influenza vaccines during pregnancy has been low, with approximately one half of women receiving each vaccine and only one third receiving both, based on a survey during March-April 2019 (5). Data obtained through a retrospective chart review of randomly selected pregnant women who delivered at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida, from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2018, were analyzed to assess vaccination coverage by insurance type. Because the Florida Medicaid policy at that time did not cover these vaccines during pregnancy, the hospital system offered Tdap and influenza vaccines at no additional cost to mothers during the immediate postpartum hospital stay. Among 341 women, 68.6% of privately insured and 13.4% with Medicaid received Tdap during pregnancy, and among 316 women, 70.4% of privately insured and 35.6% with Medicaid received influenza vaccine during pregnancy. Many women, especially those with Medicaid, were vaccinated in the immediate postpartum period, when vaccination was available at no cost, increasing Tdap vaccination rates to 79.3% for privately insured and 51.7% for women with Medicaid; influenza vaccination rates rose to 72.0% for privately insured and 43.5% for women with Medicaid. These data suggest that the state Medicaid policy to not cover these vaccines during pregnancy might have significantly reduced coverage among its enrollees.

Tobacco-Related Counseling and Documentation in Adolescent Primary Care Practice: Challenges and Opportunities.

INTRODUCTION: Primary care visits present an opportunity to reduce tobacco use and tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) among adolescents. To date, few studies have examined tobacco-related electronic health record (EHR) documentation in adolescent visits. The purpose of this study was to (1) describe tobacco-related EHR documentation practices in adolescent care clinics, including whether alternative tobacco products, parental use, and TSE were addressed; and (2) identify aspects of adolescent tobacco use that may inform EHR updates and counseling and documentation practices. METHODS: Following a convergent mixed-methods design, we conducted an EHR review of 508 adolescent well-child visits, performed focus groups with pediatric providers and staff, and conducted in-depth interviews with adolescent patients. Record review data and interview transcripts were analyzed and interpreted concurrently. RESULTS: In the EHR review, cigarette screening was documented in 92.3% of visits, smokeless tobacco screening in 51.4%, parental tobacco use in 23.2%, and home TSE in 33.1% of visits. Smoking status options were not mutually exclusive and did not include noncigarette products. No records documented assessment of e-cigarette use, despite nearly half of adolescent interview respondents citing these as the most popular products among adolescents. In interviews, adolescents discussed their experiences with alternative tobacco/nicotine products more than cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco use status prompts should be revised for clarity and include noncigarette tobacco products and TSE. Provider education on noncigarette products and TSE assessment is needed. Improvements in EHR systems, resources, and tools can lead to better tobacco screening, prevention, and treatment practices among primary care providers. IMPLICATIONS: Clinical guidelines call for pediatricians to assess and treat adolescent and parental tobacco use during primary care visits. The use of electronic health records (EHRs) can improve screening and counseling practices; however, few studies have examined tobacco-related EHR documentation practices in adolescent care settings. This mixed-methods study found low rates of EHR documentation related to noncigarette nicotine/tobacco products, parental tobacco use, and tobacco smoke exposure. These results demonstrate the need for increased provider training and EHR modifications to facilitate comprehensive tobacco control efforts in the adolescent population.

Novel Interventions and Assessments Using Patient Portals in Adolescent Research: Confidential Survey Study.

BACKGROUND: While adolescents can receive confidential health care without parental or guardian notification, they are rarely asked about their experiences and opinions regarding their care because participation in research often requires parental consent. Anonymous research with adolescents via confidential patient portals may ameliorate this research gap. OBJECTIVE: Because use of a confidential online adolescent patient portal is high at our academic institution, we hypothesized that adolescents would also respond to survey-based research via the portal, especially if asked anonymously and without parental consent. We used a clinical scenario of needing to better understanding adolescent and young adults' views about their health and health care, including information on a long-acting reversible contraceptive (LARC) to test if and how they will use a portal for research. METHODS: Upon receiving Institutional Review Board approval, we sent 2 portal-based surveys about confidential services to 2 groups of females, ages 14 to 25 years, who had attended an adolescent clinic in the past 3 years. This clinic mostly serves Medicaid recipients (80%) and is racially and ethnically diverse with half of patients identifying as African American and roughly 10% Hispanic. The control group was a random sample of female patients who never received a LARC (n=150) and the intervention group included all female adolescents who had received a LARC from the same clinic (n=107). This second sample was manually cross-checked to confirm they had an office visit for this reason. Consenting for themselves, the control group received an email through the patient portal with a link and a request to perform an assessment. The survey for the control group included items assessing health literacy and health communication preferences. The survey for the intervention group included health literacy items as well as items to assess their opinions and perceptions regarding LARCs. We tracked click-through rates and opened messages; each participant received 4 reminders. RESULTS: While only 3 participants fully completed either survey, email read rates (29/107 [27.1%] of LARC recipients and 39/150 [26.0%] of controls) were encouraging. Additionally, of those who opened the messages, almost twice as many of the LARC recipients (10/107 [9.3%]) read through the entire survey, while less than half read the entire survey as compared to those who received the survey asking about health literacy and health care preferences (6/150 [4.0%]). CONCLUSIONS: The methodology of using adolescent portals for online surveys provides a new avenue for research even though the study did not yield sufficient participation to understand these adolescents' preferences. Future studies need to test if a different survey topic would engage adolescents or if other methods like text-based reminders would improve participation.

Responsiveness to Change in PROMIS(®) Measures among Children with Asthma: A Report from the PROMIS(®) Pediatric Asthma Study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the responsiveness to change of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS(®)) asthma impact, pain interference, fatigue, depressive symptoms, mobility, and peer relationship scales to a legacy scale, the Paediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ). METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-nine child-parent dyads from public insurance programs were enrolled. PROMIS pediatric short forms (SFs) and the PAQLQ were used to measure health-related quality of life across four time points (T1-T4) over 2 years. The Asthma Control and Communication Instrument was used to measure the change in asthma control, and the Global Rating of Change (GRC) Index for breathing problems and overall health was used to measure the change in health status. Responsiveness was tested by comparing the changes in health-related quality of life with the changes in asthma control and health status over time using t tests, generalized estimating equations, and relative validity approaches. Magnitudes of the responsiveness between the Pediatric PROMIS and PAQLQ were assessed through statistical significance, Cohen's d effect size (ES), and standardized response mean (SRM). RESULTS: The PROMIS asthma impact scale and all PAQLQ scales exhibited significant responsiveness (p's<0.05) and small to medium ES/SRM when anchored to asthma control, GRC breathing problems, and overall health. Relative validity, especially related to change in asthma control status and GRC breathing problems, was equivalent. PROMIS pain interference, fatigue, and mobility SFs also indicated adequate responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The PROMIS asthma impact SF indicated similar responsiveness to the PAQLQ scales. Due to its brevity and responsiveness, the PROMIS asthma impact SF is useful for clinical practice or research.

Improving Adolescent Health Risk Assessment: A Multi-method Pilot Study.

Objectives Given poor compliance by providers with adolescent health risk assessment (HRA) in primary care, we describe the development and feasibility of using a health information technology (HIT)-enhanced HRA to improve the frequency of HRAs in diverse clinical settings, asking adolescents' recall of quality of care as a primary outcome. Methods We conducted focus groups and surveys with key stakeholders (Phase I) , including adolescents, clinic staff and providers to design and implement an intervention in a practice-based research network delivering private, comprehensive HRAs via tablet (Phase II). Providers and adolescents received geo-coded community resources according to individualized risks. Following the point-of-care implementation , we collected patient-reported outcomes using post-visit quality surveys (Phase III). Patient-reported outcomes from intervention and comparison clinics were analyzed using a mixed-model, fitted separately for each survey domain. Results Stakeholders agreed upon an HIT-enhanced HRA (Phase I). Twenty-two academic and community practices in north-central Florida then recruited 609 diverse adolescents (14-18 years) during primary care visits over 6 months; (mean patients enrolled = 28; median = 20; range 1-116; Phase II). Adolescents receiving the intervention later reported higher receipt of confidential/private care and counseling related to emotions and relationships (adjusted scores 0.42 vs 0.08 out of 1.0, p < .01; 0.85 vs 0.57, p < .001, respectively, Phase III) than those receiving usual care. Both are important quality indicators for adolescent well-child visits. Conclusions Stakeholder input was critical to the acceptability of the HIT-enhanced HRA. Patient recruitment data indicate that the intervention was feasible in a variety of clinical settings and the pilot evaluation data indicate that the intervention may improve adolescents' perceptions of high quality care.

Recruiting low income and racially/ethnically diverse adolescents for focus groups.

Recruiting and enrolling low income, racially and ethnically diverse adolescents into research studies can be a challenge. This paper details our research team's methodology in the recruitment and enrollment of low income and racially/ethnically diverse adolescents in three cities as part of a broader study to understand adolescent perceptions of a health risks. Our team used Florida's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Plan administrative databases to identify a sample of adolescents for focus group participation. Utilizing geographic information systems software we generated maps of racial and ethnic group clusters in three cities and identified community centers within each cluster to hold the focus groups. We mailed initial focus group introduction letters, conducted follow-up phone calls for recruitment and further implemented techniques to optimize participant confidentiality and comfort. We enrolled 35 participants for eight focus groups in three cities at a total cost of $264 per participant, including personnel, materials, travel, and incentives costs. As a result of our efforts, groups were fairly evenly distributed by both race and gender. Administrative databases provide opportunities to identify and recruit low income and racially/ethnically diverse adolescents for focus groups that might not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in research studies. It is important that researchers ensure these populations are represented when conducting health assessment tool evaluations.

Exploring factors influencing asthma control and asthma-specific health-related quality of life among children.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about factors contributing to children's asthma control status and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The study objectives were to assess the relationship between asthma control and asthma-specific HRQoL in asthmatic children, and to examine the extent to which parental health literacy, perceived self-efficacy with patient-physician interaction, and satisfaction with shared decision-making (SDM) contribute to children's asthma control and asthma-specific HRQoL. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized data collected from a sample of asthmatic children (n = 160) aged 8-17 years and their parents (n = 160) who visited a university medical center. Asthma-specific HRQoL was self-reported by children using the National Institutes of Health's Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Asthma Impact Scale. Satisfaction with SDM, perceived self-efficacy with patient-physician interaction, parental health literacy, and asthma control were reported by parents using standardized measures. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was performed to test the hypothesized pathways. RESULTS: Path analysis revealed that children with better asthma control reported higher asthma-specific HRQoL (ß = 0.4, P < 0.001). Parents with higher health literacy and greater perceived self-efficacy with patient-physician interactions were associated with higher satisfaction with SDM (ß = 0.38, P < 0.05; ß = 0.58, P < 0.001, respectively). Greater satisfaction with SDM was in turn associated with better asthma control (ß = -0.26, P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Children's asthma control status influenced their asthma-specific HRQoL. However, parental factors such as perceived self-efficacy with patient-physician interaction and satisfaction with shared decision-making indirectly influenced children's asthma control status and asthma-specific HRQoL.

The association of maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index with breastfeeding initiation.

Recent evidence extends the health benefits of breastfeeding to include reduction of maternal body mass index (BMI) and childhood obesity. Since most women decide if they will breastfeed prior to pregnancy, it is important to understand, given the high population prevalence of obesity, if maternal underweight, overweight or obese status is associated with breastfeeding initiation. Population-based study. Florida resident birth certificate records. All live singleton births (2004-2009), excluding observations that lacked the primary outcomes of maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and breastfeeding initiation (final sample of 1,161,949 unique observations). Odds of initiating breastfeeding, adjusted by maternal and infant factors, stratified by pre-pregnancy BMI, categorized as underweight, normal, overweight and obese. Adjusting for the known maternal factors associated with breastfeeding initiation, underweight and obese women were significantly less likely to initiate breastfeeding than women with normal BMI, (adjusted odds ratio 0.87, 95 % confidence interval 0.85-0.89 for underweight women; 0.84, 95 % CI 0.83-0.85 for obese women). The magnitude of these findings did not significantly vary by race or ethnicity. Medicaid status and adherence to the Institute of Medicine's 2009 pregnancy weight gain recommendations had only minor influences on breastfeeding initiation. Among adolescents, only underweight status predicted breastfeeding initiation; obesity did not. Underweight and obese women have significantly lower rates of breastfeeding initiation compared to women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI. Future studies need to address the health care, social, and physical barriers that interfere with breastfeeding initiation, especially in underweight and obese women, regardless of race, ethnicity or income.

Identifying indicators during pregnancy for child maltreatment.

To measure the effect of a short interpregnancy interval (IPI), along with other indicators routinely asked during pregnancy on later report of child maltreatment. We hypothesized that an IPI of <18 months was associated with increased risk of child maltreatment. This study was a secondary analysis of a linked population-based dataset from 2005 to 2007 in Florida. Data were derived from three sources: Birth Certificates, Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens, and the HomeSafeNet Database. Primary predictor variables were IPI, and mothers' evaluations of the timing of the pregnancy and perceptions of harm. Logistic regression analyses were used to estimate the odds of child maltreatment, adjusting for demographic and other known risk factors for maltreatment. The final study sample consisted of 85,258 multipara women-infant dyads with credible IPIs and with completed Healthy Start Prenatal Risk Screens. Seventeen percent of children had a report of child maltreatment in the first 5 years of life. An IPI of less than 18 months was associated with 18 % higher odds of maltreatment compared to an IPI of greater than 18 months (95 % CI 1.13, 1.23). Mothers' perception of harm and desire to be pregnant at a later time were also significantly associated with higher odds of maltreatment report (AOR = 2.43 95 % CI = 2.17, 2.71 and AOR = 1.18 95 % CI 1.13, 1.24, respectively). Ascertaining short IPI and asking pregnant and peripartum women about their perception of harm and desire for a longer birth spacing can alert obstetricians, family practitioners and pediatricians to potential child maltreatment.

The Association of Socioeconomic Vulnerability and Race and Ethnicity With Disease Burden Among Children in a Statewide Medicaid Population.

OBJECTIVE: Individuals enrolled in Medicaid have disproportionately worse health outcomes due to challenges related to Social Determinants of Health. We aim to examine the prevalence of 3 childhood conditions (asthma, type 2 diabetes, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [ADHD]) in children within the Texas Medicaid system. In order to recognize the layers of vulnerability, we examine prevalence at the intersection of socioeconomic status with race and ethnicity within this economically challenged population. METHODS: Children ages 0 to 17 were identified from claims and encounter data for all children enrolled in Texas Medicaid in 2017 for at least 6 months. All children were placed into one of 5 quintiles based on their census tract socioeconomic vulnerability. The Rate Ratio statistical test was employed to identify the statistical significance of the disparity in health outcomes related to higher neighborhood vulnerability within each racial or ethnic group. RESULTS: Asthma for each race and ethnicity group was significantly more prevalent in the higher vulnerability census tracts. Increased vulnerability related to significant increase in type 2 diabetes for Hispanic children, but not for other groups. Diagnosed ADHD prevalence was significantly higher in less vulnerable non-Hispanic white children compared to more vulnerable. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that even among children who receive Medicaid and are thus economically disadvantaged, socioeconomic vulnerability applies an additional burden within racial and ethnic groups to produce disparities in health-related burden. However, the trend of the relationship varied by race and ethnicity group and health condition.