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de Oliveira C, Iwajomo T, Kurdyak P. Mental Health Care Use Among Children and Adolescents With High Health Care Costs in Ontario, Canada. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2313172. [PMID: 37171817 PMCID: PMC10182426 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Research on patients with high health care costs has examined mainly adults, with little focus on mental health care use. Objective To examine the characteristics and costs of children and adolescents with high health care costs who use mostly mental health care and whether and why they persist in the high-cost state. Design, Setting, and Participants This population-based, retrospective cohort study used health care records from Ontario, Canada, on all children and adolescents (age 0-17 years) covered under a universal health care system from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2019. All children and adolescents in and above the 90th percentile of the cost distribution in 2012 for whom costs related to mental health care accounted for 50% or more of their costs were defined as patients with high mental health care costs. Data were analyzed from August 2019 to December 2022. Exposures High health care costs. Main Outcomes and Measures Patients with high mental health care costs were characterized in terms of their sociodemographic characteristics; chronic physical health, mental health, and behavioral conditions; and health care costs (in 2021 Canadian dollars) by health service and type of care (mental health care vs non-mental health care). Patients were followed up until 2019 to assess whether they persisted in the high-cost state and to examine factors associated with persisting in that state. Results In 2012, there were 273 490 children and adolescents with high health care costs (mean [SD] age, 6.43 [5.99] years; 55.8% male; mean cost, $7936.40; 95% CI, $7850.30-$8022.40). Of these, 20 463 (7.5%) were classified as having high mental health care costs (mean cost, $10 040.20; 95% CI, $9822.80-$10 257.50). Asthma (30.3%), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (35.8%), and mood and/or anxiety disorders (94.9%) were the most common chronic physical, behavioral, or mental health conditions. Few patients with high mental health care costs persisted in the high-cost state beyond 3 years (19.0%). Mood and/or anxiety disorders (relative risk ratio [RRR], 6.17; 95% CI, 3.19-11.96) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (RRR, 2.98; 95% CI, 2.14-4.14) were identified as the main factors associated with persistence in the high-cost state. Conclusions and Relevance In this cohort study of children and adolescents with high health care costs, some patients had high levels of mental health care use and high costs of care, but few of these persisted in the high-cost state for 3 or more years. These findings may help inform the development of care coordination interventions and service delivery models, such as youth integrated services, to reduce costs and improve outcomes for children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire de Oliveira
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tomisin Iwajomo
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Paul Kurdyak
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research and Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Mental Health and Addictions Centre of Excellence, Ontario Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Wu QZ, Xu SL, Tan YW, Qian Z, Vaughn MG, McMillin SE, Dong P, Qin SJ, Liang LX, Lin LZ, Liu RQ, Yang BY, Chen G, Zhang W, Hu LW, Zeng XW, Dong GH. Exposure to ultrafine particles and childhood obesity: A cross-sectional analysis of the Seven Northeast Cities (SNEC) Study in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 846:157524. [PMID: 35872203 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 07/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies on the obesogenic effect of air pollution on children have been mixed and sparse. Moreover, due to insufficient air monitoring, few studies have investigated the role of more tiny but unregulated particles (ambient particles with a diameter of 0.1 μm or less, ultrafine particles). OBJECTIVE We sought to explore the associations between long-term exposure to ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs) and childhood obesity in Chinese children. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 47,990 children, aged 6-18 years, from seven cities in Northeastern China between 2012 and 2013. Child age- and sex-specific z-scores for body mass index (BMI Z-score) and weight status were generated using the World Health Organization growth reference. Four-year average concentrations of UFPs and airborne particulates of diameter ≤ 1 μm (PM1), ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), and ≤10 μm (PM10) were estimated at home, using neural network simulated WRF-Chem model and spatiotemporal model, respectively. Confounder-adjusted generalized linear mixed models examined the associations between air pollution and BMI Z-score and the prevalence of childhood obesity. RESULT We found that UFPs exposure was associated with greater childhood BMI Z-score and a higher likelihood of obesity. Compared with the lowest quartile, higher quartiles of UFPs were associated with greater odds for obesity prevalence in children (i.e., the adjusted OR was 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.12-1.39; 1.43; 95 % CI, 1.27-1.61; and 1.41; 95 % CI, 1.25-1.58 for the second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively). Similar associations were observed for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, and were greater in boys and children living close to roadways. CONCLUSIONS Long-term UFPs exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of childhood obesity, and stronger associations on BMI Z-score were observed in boys and children living close to roadways. This study indicates that more attention should be paid to the health effects of UFPs, and routinely monitoring of UFPs should be considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-Zhen Wu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Shu-Li Xu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ya-Wen Tan
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Zhengmin Qian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College for Public Health & Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63104, USA
| | - Michael G Vaughn
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - Stephen Edward McMillin
- School of Social Work, College for Public Health and Social Justice, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO 63103, USA
| | - Pengxin Dong
- Nursing College, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, China
| | - Shuang-Jian Qin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Li-Xia Liang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Li-Zi Lin
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Ru-Qing Liu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Bo-Yi Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Gongbo Chen
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Wangjian Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Li-Wen Hu
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China
| | - Xiao-Wen Zeng
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
| | - Guang-Hui Dong
- Guangdong Provincial Engineering Technology Research Center of Environmental Pollution and Health Risk Assessment, Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, China.
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Bjur KA, Wi CI, Ryu E, Crow SS, King KS, Juhn YJ. Epidemiology of Children With Multiple Complex Chronic Conditions in a Mixed Urban-Rural US Community. Hosp Pediatr 2019; 9:281-290. [PMID: 30923070 PMCID: PMC6434974 DOI: 10.1542/hpeds.2018-0091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Children with multiple complex chronic conditions (MCCs) represent a small fraction of our communities but a disproportionate amount of health care cost and mortality. Because the temporal trends of children with MCCs within a geographically well-defined US pediatric population has not been previously assessed, health care planning and policy for this vulnerable population is limited. METHODS In this population-based, repeated cross-sectional study, we identified and enrolled all eligible children residing in Olmsted County, Minnesota, through the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a medical record linkage system of Olmsted County residents. The pediatric complex chronic conditions classification system version 2 was used to identify children with MCCs. Five-year period prevalence and incidence rates were calculated during the study period (1999-2014) and characterized by age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status (SES) by using the housing-based index of socioeconomic status, a validated individual housing-based SES index. Age-, sex-, and ethnicity-adjusted prevalence and incidence rates were calculated, adjusting to the 2010 US total pediatric population. RESULTS Five-year prevalence and incidence rates of children with MCCs in Olmsted County increased from 1200 to 1938 per 100 000 persons and from 256 to 335 per 100 000 person-years, respectively, during the study period. MCCs tend to be slightly more prevalent among children with a lower SES and with a racial minority background. CONCLUSIONS Both 5-year prevalence and incidence rates of children with MCCs have significantly increased over time, and health disparities are present among these children. The clinical and financial outcomes of children with MCCs need to be assessed for formulating suitable health care planning given limited resources.
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Mental Health Conditions and Health Care Payments for Children with Chronic Medical Conditions. Acad Pediatr 2019; 19:44-50. [PMID: 30315948 DOI: 10.1016/j.acap.2018.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Revised: 10/04/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate additional payments associated with co-existing mental health or substance use disorders (MH/SUDs) among commercially insured children and youth with chronic medical conditions (CMCs) and to determine whether children's MH/SUDs have similar associations with parental health care payments. METHODS Cross-sectional analysis of a national database of paid commercial insurance claims for 2012-2013. Participants were children and youth ages 0 to 26 years covered as dependents on parents' health insurance and categorized by the presence or absence of any of 11 chronic medical conditions and MH/SUDs. We determined the numbers of children and youth with CMCs and paid health care claims categorized as hospital, professional, and pharmacy services and as medical or behavioral. We compared paid claims for children and youth with CMCs with and without co-occurring MH/SUDs and for their parents. RESULTS The sample included almost 6.6 million children and youth and 5.8 million parents. Compared to children without CMCs, children with CMCs had higher costs, even higher for children with CMCs who also had MH/SUDs. Children with CMCs and co-occurring MH/SUDs had 2.4 times the annual payments of those with chronic conditions alone, especially for medical expenses. Estimated additional annual payments associated with MH/SUDs in children with CMCs were $8.8 billion. Parents of children with CMCs and associated MH/SUDs had payments 59% higher than those for parents of children with CMCs alone. CONCLUSIONS MH/SUDs in children and youth with CMCs are associated with higher total health care payments for both patients and their parents, suggesting potential benefits from preventing or reducing the impact of MH/SUDs among children and youth with CMCs.
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Bui AL, Dieleman JL, Hamavid H, Birger M, Chapin A, Duber HC, Horst C, Reynolds A, Squires E, Chung PJ, Murray CJL. Spending on Children's Personal Health Care in the United States, 1996-2013. JAMA Pediatr 2017; 171:181-189. [PMID: 28027344 PMCID: PMC5546095 DOI: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.4086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Health care spending on children in the United States continues to rise, yet little is known about how this spending varies by condition, age and sex group, and type of care, nor how these patterns have changed over time. OBJECTIVE To provide health care spending estimates for children and adolescents 19 years and younger in the United States from 1996 through 2013, disaggregated by condition, age and sex group, and type of care. EVIDENCE REVIEW Health care spending estimates were extracted from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Disease Expenditure 2013 project database. This project, based on 183 sources of data and 2.9 billion patient records, disaggregated health care spending in the United States by condition, age and sex group, and type of care. Annual estimates were produced for each year from 1996 through 2013. Estimates were adjusted for the presence of comorbidities and are reported using inflation-adjusted 2015 US dollars. FINDINGS From 1996 to 2013, health care spending on children increased from $149.6 (uncertainty interval [UI], 144.1-155.5) billion to $233.5 (UI, 226.9-239.8) billion. In 2013, the largest health condition leading to health care spending for children was well-newborn care in the inpatient setting. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and well-dental care (including dental check-ups and orthodontia) were the second and third largest conditions, respectively. Spending per child was greatest for infants younger than 1 year, at $11 741 (UI, 10 799-12 765) in 2013. Across time, health care spending per child increased from $1915 (UI, 1845-1991) in 1996 to $2777 (UI, 2698-2851) in 2013. The greatest areas of growth in spending in absolute terms were ambulatory care among all types of care and inpatient well-newborn care, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and asthma among all conditions. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE These findings provide health policy makers and health care professionals with evidence to help guide future spending. Some conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and inpatient well-newborn care, had larger health care spending growth rates than other conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony L. Bui
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | - Hannah Hamavid
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Maxwell Birger
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Abigail Chapin
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Herbert C. Duber
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington3Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
| | - Cody Horst
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Alex Reynolds
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Ellen Squires
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, Washington
| | - Paul J. Chung
- Departments of Pediatrics and Health Policy and Management, University of California, Los Angeles5RAND Health, RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, California
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