Study Finds Multiple Disparities Among Minority Children
"Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Medical and Dental Health, Access to Care and Use of Services in U.S. Children," Pediatrics: Using data from the National Survey of Children's Health, a 2003-2004 survey of parents and guardians of 102,353 children up to age 17, Glenn Flores of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Sandra Tomany-Korman of Signature Science analyzed medical and oral health, and health care measures for white, black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, American Indian and multiracial children. The study found numerous disparities, including in insurance rates, access to a usual source of care or specialty care, unmet medical and dental needs, as well as increased odds of health problems. The study also found that certain disparities are particularly marked for specific racial or ethnic groups and that many minority children experience multiple disparities (Flores/Tomany-Korman, Pediatrics, 1/14).
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