Screening for Children's Chronic Health Conditions and Their Strengths and Difficulties in Primary Care.

OBJECTIVE: This study explores parents' perceptions of their child's health status and their strengths and difficulties using 2 validated instruments in primary care settings. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 2018 and October 2019. Parents of children aged 2 to 18 years completed the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) screener and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as well as demographics. The CSHCN uses 5 questions to identify children with chronic health conditions. Three subgroups were created: children with no chronic health condition (NCHC), chronic health condition with no functional limitations (NFLs), and chronic health condition with functional limitations (FLs). Higher SDQ scores indicate higher degrees of a factor. Associations between CSHCN subgroups and SDQ scores, controlling for demographics, were analyzed with multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: In total, 970 parents' surveys (87.9% completed surveys) were included in this analysis: 76.4% of respondents were married, 56.4% had an annual household income ≥$50,000%, and 61.7% were employed full time; 53.0% of the index children were males, 72.1% were White, and 61.4% had private insurance. Mean (SD) total SDQ scores across the 3 CSHCN subgroups were significantly different (NCHC, 7.7 [4.8]; NFL, 12.6 [6.6]; FL, 16.0 [6.7], p < 0.001). The mean SDQ prosocial scores were higher in the NCHC subgroup (p < 0.001), as hypothesized. The SDQ means for the 3 subgroups remained significantly different after controlling for demographics. CONCLUSION: Children with FLs had significantly higher total SDQ scores than children in the other 2 subgroups, which may aid clinicians in the early identification of children who would benefit from behavioral health resources.

Child Sleep and Parent Depressive Symptoms.

OBJECTIVES: Parent distress and child sleep problems have been associated in earlier research. The present study expands on past research on parent depressive symptoms and their child's sleep. This study examines the relation between parents who screen positive for depressive symptoms and their perception of their child's sleep. METHODS: Three hundred sixty-nine English-speaking parents of children ages 3 to 5 years (n = 134) or 6 to 11 years (n = 235) met this study's inclusion criteria within the Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network (response rate 90%). The validated scales used were the RAND Depression Screener (DS), the Wisconsin Abbreviated Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (WCSHQ), and the Jenkins Sleep Questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations with the WCSHQ. RESULTS: In total, 74.3% of the study children were White, 82.4% of respondents were the child's mother, 75.1% had at least some college education, and 54.4% reported an annual income of <$50,000. In total, 54.4% of children were male and 53.8% had public health insurance. Approximately one-fourth of parents had a positive DS and nearly one-third reported sleep problems. Adjusting for child's age and other factors, we found that parents with a positive (vs negative) DS had AOR 2.42 (95% CI 1.38-4.24) for higher WCSHQ scores. Children ages 3 to 5 years (vs 6-11 years) had AOR 2.48 (95% CI 1.56-3.95) for higher WCSHQ scores. CONCLUSIONS: Parents with a positive DS were more likely to report sleep problems in their children after adjusting for the child's age. These findings from a diverse sample of US Midwestern families at primary care venues corroborate previous research.

Parents' Report of Their Children's Underinsurance Status After the Affordable Care Act.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and correlates of children's underinsurance pre- and post-implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey of a convenience sample of 5043 parents of children greater than 6 months old who had health insurance in the previous 12 months. Respondents completed the Medical Expenses for Children Survey. Pre-ACA data were collected in summer/fall of 2009 to 2011 (n = 3966); post-ACA data were collected in summer/fall 2016 (n = 1077). All data were collected within the Southwestern Ohio Ambulatory Research Network (SOAR-Net). RESULTS: Some study parents (16.3%) were unable to follow at least 1 recommendation of their child's pediatrician due to their inability to pay for it, and 17.3% reported it had become more difficult to obtain "needed health care" in the past 3 years. Factors associated with underinsurance after adjusting for demographic factors did NOT include pre/post-ACA, but did include annual household income < $50,000 (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.71; 95% CI, 2.15-3.40). Poor child health was also a significant risk factor for underinsurance(AOR = 3.71; 95% CI, 2.61-5.29). CONCLUSIONS: About 1 in 6 study children were underinsured. The ACA did not affect the underinsurance rate. Parents continued to report that it had become more difficult to obtain needed health care over the past 3 years post-ACA. About one third of study parents consistently reported that the health of their underinsured child had suffered because they could not afford to pay for their child's health care.

Children's Age, Family Conflict, and Children's HbA1c: Are Girls and Boys Different?

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the relation between children's sex, age, family conflict, and children's glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c). METHODS: Parents of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus were recruited from the diabetes clinic of a midwestern children's hospital. The survey included demographics and the Diabetes Family Conflict Scale (DFCS). The index child's HbA1c was obtained. RESULTS: DFCS was significantly associated with HbA1c for both boys and girls (rs = 0.3, P < 0.001); however, girls had significantly higher median HbA1c levels (8.8) than boys (8.4, P = 0.003). Median HbA1c levels in boys younger than 12 years (8.2) were significantly lower compared with girls younger than 12 years (8.7, P = 0.025) or older girls (9.0, P < 0.001). Median DFCS scores were similar for all boys-approximately 25-but families with older girls had significantly higher scores compared with younger girls (27.0 vs 24.0, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: DFCS scores were significantly related to HbA1c levels. Psychosocial factors are related to HbA1c in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus.