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

Abstract #121115

Crystal N. Piper, MHA, MPH, Health Policy and Management, University of South Carolina Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, 800 College Street, Columbia, SC 29208, 8034631739, cnpiper@yahoo.com

In the U.S. it has been well documented that Black children are more likely than White children to suffer from problems with asthma, but few of these studies have explored the disparities in access to care among these racial groups. There are many children in the U.S. that are not insured, and do not have proper access to adequate health care services. To assess variation in access to care across race, income, and health insurance status among children with asthma in the U.S. we analyzed data from the 2000 National Health Interview Survey. We obtained a population of 1630 children with asthma age 0-17. We used a logistic regression model to determine the factors associated with race-based disparities in access to care.

In the bivariate analysis statistical significance was found among Black children being less likely to have seen a general doctor in the past twelve months (p<.0001). Uninsured children were twice as likely to have not seen a general doctor in the past twelve months (p<.0001). In the multivariate analysis race and health insurance status remained highly associated with an individuals ability to access appropriate health care services. Consistent with previous studies, this study found that race and insurance status are highly related to an individual's capability to utilize health care services. Further studies will have to explore the findings in this study, to identify the factors that contribute to the disparity children with asthma face when accessing health care services.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize the disparities of childhood asthma in the United States;
• List the variations in access to care across race, income, and health insurance status among children with asthma in the United States;
• Describe the disparities in access to care among children with asthma;

Keywords: Asthma, Children

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.