Development and Validation of an Abbreviated Child and Adult Food Security Scale for Use in Clinical and Research Settings in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Food insecurity (FI) prevalence was consistently >10% over the past 20 years, indicating chronic economic hardship. Recession periods exacerbate already high prevalence of FI, reflecting acute economic hardship. To monitor FI and respond quickly to changes in prevalence, an abbreviated food security scale measuring presence and severity of household FI in adults and children is needed. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to develop an abbreviated, sensitive, specific, and valid food security scale to identify severity levels of FI in households with children. DESIGN: Cross-sectional and longitudinal survey data were analyzed for years 1998 to 2022. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Participants were racially diverse primary caregivers of 69,040 index children younger than 4 years accessing health care in 5 US cities. STATISTICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED: Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, accuracy, and area under the receiver operator curve were used to test combinations of questions for the most effective abbreviated scale to assess levels of severity of adult and child FI compared with the Household Food Security Survey Module. Adjusted logistic regression models assessed convergent validity between the Abbreviated Child and Adult Food Security Scale (ACAFSS) and health measures. McNemar tests examined the ACAFSS performance in times of acute economic hardship. RESULTS: The ACAFSS exhibited 91.2% sensitivity; 99.6% specificity; 98.3% and 97.6% positive and negative predictive values, respectively; 97.7% accuracy; and a 99.6% area under the receiver operator curve, while showing high convergent validity. CONCLUSIONS: The ACAFSS is highly sensitive, specific, and valid for detecting severity levels of FI among racially diverse households with children. The ACAFSS is recommended as a stand-alone scale or a follow-up scale after households with children screen positive for FI risk. The ACAFSS is also recommended for planning interventions and evaluating their effects not only on the binary categories of food security and FI, but also on changes in levels of severity, especially when rapid decision making is crucial.

Child Care Feeding Programs Associated With Food Security and Health for Young Children From Families With Low Incomes.

BACKGROUND: The Child and Adult Care Food Program is the primary national program that enables child-care settings to provide healthy meals for children. Associations between Child and Adult Care Food Program participation and child health and development and health care utilization are understudied. OBJECTIVE: To assess associations between children's health, development, health care utilization and food security by meal source (child-care-provided vs parent-provided) among children from low-income families with a child care subsidy attending child-care in settings likely eligible to participate in Child and Adult Care Food Programs. DESIGN: The study used repeat cross-sectional surveys (new sample at successive time points) conducted year-round. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: Primary caregivers of 3,084 young children accessing emergency departments or primary care in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Little Rock, AR; Minneapolis, MN; and Philadelphia, PA, were interviewed between 2010 and 2020. The sample was limited to children aged 13 to 48 months, receiving a child care subsidy and attending child-care centers or family child-care homes ≥20 hours per week. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes included household and child food security; child health, growth, and developmental risk; and admission to the hospital on the day of the emergency department visit. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Meal source and participant characteristics were analyzed using χ2 tests; associations of outcomes with parent-provided meals were analyzed with adjusted logistic regression. RESULTS: The majority of children had child-care-provided meals (87.2% child-care-provided vs 12.8% parent-provided). Compared with children with parent-provided meals, children with child-care-provided meals had lower adjusted odds of living in a food-insecure household (adjusted odds ratio 0.70, 95% CI 0.55 to 0.88), being in fair or poor health (adjusted odds ratio 0.61, 95% CI 0.46 to 0.81), or hospital admission from the emergency department (adjusted odds ratio 0.59, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.83), with no differences in growth or developmental risk. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with meals provided from home, child-care-provided meals likely supported by the Child and Adult Care Food Program are related to food security, early childhood health, and reduced hospital admissions from an emergency department among low-income families with young children.

Associations of household unmet basic needs and health outcomes among very low birth weight children.

OBJECTIVE: We examined associations of past year household hardships (housing, energy, food, and healthcare hardships) with postnatal growth, developmental risk, health status, and hospitalization among children 0-36 months born with very low birth weight (VLBW) and the extent that these relationships differed by receipt of child supplemental security income (SSI). STUDY DESIGN: We examined cross-sectional data from 695 families. Growth was measured as weight-for-age z-score change. Developmental risk was defined as ≥1 concerns on the "Parents' Evaluation of Developmental Status" screening tool. Child health status was categorized as excellent/good vs. fair/poor. Hospitalizations excluded birth hospitalizations. RESULTS: Compared to children with no household hardships, odds of developmental risk were greater with 1 hardship (aOR 2.0 [1.26, 3.17]) and ≥2 hardships (aOR) 1.85 [1.18, 2.91], and odds of fair/poor child health (aOR) 1.59 [1.02, 2.49] and hospitalizations (aOR) 1.49 [1.00, 2.20] were greater among children with ≥2 hardships. In stratified analysis, associations of hardships and developmental risk were present for households with no child SSI and absent for households with child SSI. CONCLUSION: Household hardships were associated with developmental risk, fair/poor health status, and hospitalizations among VLBW children. Child SSI may be protective against developmental risk among children living in households with hardships.

A Collaborative Pilot to Support Patients With Diabetes Through Tailored Food Box Home Delivery.

We conducted a randomized, controlled prospective pilot study to determine feasibility and impact of food bank and health system collaboration to home-delivered food to adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus experiencing food insecurity. Treatment group received biweekly, ethnically tailored, home-delivered food for 24 weeks. Analysis included intervention feasibility and impact on healthcare utilization, HbA1c, and other health-related measures. Intervention was feasible and successful with high levels of participant satisfaction. At baseline, participants with highest HbA1c reported poorer health, lower medication adherence and self-care, and higher diabetes distress and medicine for food tradeoffs. At 24 weeks, treatment group reported improved food security and health status. There were no differences in HbA1c or healthcare utilization measures between the two groups. It is feasible for a community food bank and nearby hospital to successfully collaborate and provide supplemental food staples to food insecure adults with type 2 diabetes and improve food insecurity and health status. Public policy efforts should utilize and expand this strategy with the goal of improving health and reducing health disparities. Future work could include more comprehensive food support focused on those with poorest glycemic control, and expanded, coordinated interventions directed at other social determinants of health. Future programming and policies should be cocreated with community input to ensure greatest success.

Type of Child Care Setting Is Associated With Child Care Constraints and Food Insecurity Among Families With Low-Incomes.

OBJECTIVE: High quality child care positively affects long-term development in children and is a necessary support for parents who work or are in school. We assessed the association between child care setting and parents' report of difficulties with ability to work and/or further their education ("child care constraints") or material hardships among families with low incomes. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were analyzed from families in Minneapolis, MN with children aged six weeks to 48 months in child care from 2004 to 2017. Associations between child care setting (formal, informal relative, informal non-relative) and child care constraints or material hardships (household/child food insecurity, housing instability, energy instability) were examined. RESULTS: Among 1580 families, 73.8% used informal care. Child care subsidy and public assistance program participation were higher among families utilizing formal care. Compared to formal care, families using informal relative or non-relative care had 2.44 and 4.18 greater adjusted odds of child care constraints, respectively. Families with children in informal non-relative care had 1.51 greater adjusted odds of household food insecurity. There were no statistically significant associations between informal relative care and household or child food insecurity, and no associations between child care setting and housing instability or energy insecurity. CONCLUSIONS: Informal care settings-relative and non-relative-were associated with child care constraints, and informal non-relative care with household food insecurity. Investment to expand equitable access to affordable, high-quality child care is necessary to enable parents to pursue desired employment and education and reduce food insecurity.

Reduced health care utilization among young children of immigrants after Donald Trump's election and proposed public charge rule.

Widespread fear among immigrants from hostile 2016 presidential campaign rhetoric decreased social and health care service enrollment (chilling effect). Health care utilization effects among immigrant families with young children are unknown. We examined whether former President Trump's election had chilling effects on well-child visit (WCV) schedule adherence, hospitalizations, and emergency department (ED) visits among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers in 3 US cities. Cross-sectional surveys of children <4 years receiving care in hospitals were linked to 2015-2018 electronic health records. We applied difference-in-difference analysis with a 12-month pre/post-election study period. Trump's election was associated with a 5-percentage-point decrease (-0.05; 95% CI: -0.08, -0.02) in WCV adherence for children of immigrant vs US-born mothers with no difference in hospitalizations or ED visits. Secondary analyses extending the treatment period to a leaked draft of proposed changes to public charge rules also showed significantly decreased WCV adherence among children of immigrant vs US-born mothers. Findings indicate likely missed opportunities for American Academy of Pediatrics-recommended early childhood vaccinations, health and developmental screenings, and family support. Policies and rhetoric promoting immigrant inclusion create a more just and equitable society for all US children.

Eviction and Household Health and Hardships in Families With Very Young Children.

BACKGROUND: Families with versus without children are at greater eviction risk. Eviction is a perinatal, pediatric, and adult health concern. Most studies evaluate only formal evictions. METHODS: Using cross-sectional surveys of 26 441 caregiver or young child (<48 months) dyads from 2011 to 2019 in emergency departments (EDs) and primary care clinics, we investigated relationships of 5 year history of formal (court-involved) and informal (not court-involved) evictions with caregiver and child health, history of hospitalizations, hospital admission from the ED on the day of the interview, and housing-related and other material hardships. RESULTS: 3.9% of 26 441 caregivers reported 5 year eviction history (eviction), of which 57.0% were formal evictions. After controlling for covariates, we found associations were minimally different between formal versus informal evictions and were, therefore, combined. Compared to no evictions, evictions were associated with 1.43 (95% CI: 1.17-1.73), 1.55 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.32-1.82), and 1.24 (95% CI: 1.01-1.53) times greater odds of child fair or poor health, developmental risk, and hospital admission from the ED, respectively, as well as adverse caregiver and hardship outcomes. Adjusting separately for household income and for housing-related hardships in sensitivity analyses did not significantly alter results, although odds ratios were attenuated. Hospital admission from the ED was no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS: Demonstrated associations between eviction and health and hardships support broad initiatives, such as housing-specific policies, income-focused benefits, and social determinants of health screening and community connections in health care settings. Such multifaceted efforts may decrease formal and informal eviction incidence and mitigate potential harmful associations for very young children and their families.

The impact of COVID-19 on disease epidemiology, family dynamics, and social justice in Minnesota: All that you cannot see.

Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic presented a challenge to established seed grant funding mechanisms aimed at fostering collaboration in child health research between investigators at the University of Minnesota (UMN) and Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota (Children's MN). We created a "rapid response," small grant program to catalyze collaborations in child health COVID-19 research. In this paper, we describe the projects funded by this mechanism and metrics of their success. Methods: Using seed funds from the UMN Clinical and Translational Science Institute, the UMN Medical School Department of Pediatrics, and the Children's Minnesota Research Institute, a rapid response request for applications (RFAs) was issued based on the stipulations that the proposal had to: 1) consist of a clear, synergistic partnership between co-PIs from the academic and community settings; and 2) that the proposal addressed an area of knowledge deficit relevant to child health engendered by the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Grant applications submitted in response to this RFA segregated into three categories: family fragility and disruption exacerbated by COVID-19; knowledge gaps about COVID-19 disease in children; and optimizing pediatric care in the setting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. A series of virtual workshops presented research results to the pediatric community. Several manuscripts and extramural funding awards underscored the success of the program. Conclusions: A "rapid response" seed funding mechanism enabled nascent academic-community research partnerships during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the context of the rapidly evolving landscape of COVID-19, flexible seed grant programs can be useful in addressing unmet needs in pediatric health.

Household unmet basic needs in the first 1000 days and preterm birth status.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the relationship of individual and composite number of unmet basic needs (housing, energy, food, and healthcare hardships) in the past year with preterm birth status among children aged 0-24 months. STUDY DESIGN: We examined cross-sectional 2011-18 data of 17,926 families with children aged 0-24 months. We examined children born <31 weeks', 31-33 weeks', and 34-36 weeks' gestation versus term (≥37 weeks) using multivariable multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS: At least 1 unmet basic need occurred among ≥60% of families with preterm children, compared to 56% of families with term children (p = 0.007). Compared to term, children born ≤30 weeks' had increased odds of healthcare hardships (aOR 1.28 [1.04, 1.56]) and children born 34-36 weeks' had increased odds of 1 (aOR 1.19 [1.05, 1.35]) and ≥2 unmet needs (aOR 1.15 [1.01, 1.31]). CONCLUSION: Unmet basic needs were more common among families with preterm, compared to term children.

Prenatal WIC Is Associated with Increased Birth Weight of Infants Born in the United States with Immigrant Mothers.

BACKGROUND: The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) improves health outcomes for participating mothers and children. Recent immigration policy changes increased chilling effects on WIC access and utilization. Associations between WIC participation and neonatal outcomes among infants born to immigrant parents-23% of all births in the United States-are understudied. OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to examine relationships between prenatal participation in WIC and birth weight among infants of income-eligible immigrant mothers. DESIGN: The study design was repeat cross-sectional in-person surveys. PARTICIPANTS/SETTING: Participants were 9,083 immigrant mothers of publicly insured or uninsured US-born children younger than 48 months accessing emergency departments or primary care in Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; Little Rock, AR; Minneapolis, MN; and Philadelphia, PA interviewed from 2007 through 2017. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcomes were mean birth weight (in grams) and low birth weight (<2,500 g). STATISTICAL ANALYSES: Multivariable linear regression assessed associations between prenatal WIC participation and mean birth weight; multivariable logistic regression examined association between prenatal WIC participation and low birth weight. RESULTS: Most of the immigrant mothers (84.6%) reported prenatal WIC participation. Maternal ethnicities were as follows: 67.4% were Latina, 27.0% were Black non-Latina, 2.2% were White non-Latina, and 3.5% were other/multiple races non-Latina. Infants of prenatal WIC-participant immigrant mothers had higher adjusted mean birth weight (3,231.1 g vs 3,149.8 g; P < .001) and lower adjusted odds of low birth weight (adjusted odds ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.97; P = .02) compared with infants of nonparticipants. Associations were similar among groups when stratified by mother's length of stay in United States. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal WIC participation for income-eligible immigrant mothers is associated with healthier birth weights among infants born in the United States, including for those who arrived most recently.

SNAP, Young Children's Health, and Family Food Security and Healthcare Access.

INTRODUCTION: The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest nutrition assistance program in the U.S. This study's objective was to examine the associations between SNAP participation and young children's health and development, caregiver health, and family economic hardships. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 2006 to 2016 were analyzed in 2017 for families with children aged <3 years in 5 cities. Generalized estimating equations and logistic regression were used to evaluate the associations of SNAP participation with child and caregiver health outcomes and food insecurity, forgone health care, and health cost sacrifices. Nonparticipants that were likely to be eligible for SNAP were compared with SNAP participants and analyses adjusted for covariates including Consumer Price Index for food to control for site-specific food prices. RESULTS: The adjusted odds of fair or poor child health status (AOR=0.92, 95% CI=0.86, 0.98), developmental risk (AOR=0.82, 95% CI=0.69, 0.96), underweight, and obesity in children were lower among SNAP participants than among nonparticipants. In addition, food insecurity in households and among children, and health cost sacrifices were lower among SNAP participants than among nonparticipants. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in SNAP is associated with reduced household and child food insecurity, lower odds of poor health and growth and developmental risk among infants and toddlers, and reduced hardships because of healthcare costs for their families. Improved SNAP participation and increased SNAP benefits that match the regional cost of food may be effective preventive health strategies for promoting the well-being of families with young children.

Food Insecurity, Health, and Development in Children Under Age Four Years.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Food insecurity and pediatric obesity affect young children. We examine how food insecurity relates to obesity, underweight, stunting, health, and development among children <4 years of age. METHODS: Caregivers of young children participated in a cross-sectional survey at medical centers in 5 US cities. Inclusion criteria were age of <48 months. Exclusion criteria were severely ill or injured and private health insurance. The Household Food Security Survey Module defined 3 exposure groups: food secure, household food insecure and child food secure, and household food insecure and child food insecure. Dependent measures were obesity (weight-age >90th percentile), underweight (weight-age <5th percentile), stunting (height/length-age <5th percentile), and caregiver-reported child health and developmental risk. Multivariable logistic regression analyses, adjusted for demographic confounders, maternal BMI, and food assistance program participation examined relations between exposure groups and dependent variables, with age-stratification: 0 to 12, 13 to 24, 25 to 36, and 37 to 48 months of age. RESULTS: Within this multiethnic sample (N = 28 184 children, 50% non-Hispanic African American, 34% Hispanic, 14% non-Hispanic white), 27% were household food insecure. With 1 exception at 25 to 36 months, neither household nor child food insecurity were associated with obesity, underweight, or stunting, but both were associated with increased odds of fair or poor health and developmental risk at multiple ages. CONCLUSIONS: Among children <4 years of age, food insecurity is associated with fair or poor health and developmental risk, not with anthropometry. Findings support American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for food insecurity screening and referrals to help families cope with economic hardships and associated stressors.

Trends in Food Insecurity and SNAP Participation among Immigrant Families U.S.-Born Young Children.

Immigrant families are known to be at higher risk of food insecurity compared to non-immigrant families. Documented immigrants in the U.S. <5 years are ineligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Immigration enforcement, anti-immigrant rhetoric, and policies negatively targeting immigrants have increased in recent years. Anecdotal reports suggest immigrant families forgo assistance, even if eligible, related to fear of deportation or future ineligibility for citizenship. In the period of January 2007-June 2018, 37,570 caregivers of young children (ages 0-4) were interviewed in emergency rooms and primary care clinics in Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Little Rock. Food insecurity was measured using the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Security Survey Module. Overall, 21.4% of mothers were immigrants, including 3.8% in the U.S. <5 years ("<5 years") and 17.64% ≥ 5 years ("5+ years"). SNAP participation among <5 years families increased in the period of 2007-2017 to 43% and declined in the first half of 2018 to 34.8%. For 5+ years families, SNAP participation increased to 44.7% in 2017 and decreased to 42.7% in 2018. SNAP decreases occurred concurrently with rising child food insecurity. Employment increased 2016-2018 among U.S.-born families and was stable among immigrant families. After steady increases in the prior 10 years, SNAP participation decreased in all immigrant families in 2018, but most markedly in more recent immigrants, while employment rates were unchanged.

Emergency Department Experience with Novel Electronic Medical Record Order for Referral to Food Resources.

INTRODUCTION: Food insecurity is a significant issue in the United States and is prevalent in emergency department (ED) patients. The purpose of this study was to report the novel use of an integrated electronic medical record (EMR) order for food resources, and to describe our initial institutional referral patterns after focused education and implementation of the order. METHODS: This was a retrospective, observational study, describing food-bank referral patterns before and after the implementation of dedicated ED education on the novel EMR order for food resources. RESULTS: In 2015, prior to formal education a total of 1,003 referrals were made to the regional food bank, Second Harvest Heartland. Five referrals were made from the ED. In 2016, after the educational interventions regarding the referral, there were 1,519 referrals hospital-wide, and 55 referrals were made from the ED. Of the 1,519 referrals 1,129 (74%) were successfully contacted by Second Harvest Heartland, and 954 (63%) accepted and received assistance. CONCLUSION: Use of the EMR as a tool to refer patients to partner organizations for food resources is plausible and may result in an increase in ED referrals for food resources. Appropriate education is crucial for application of this novel ED process.

Children with Special Health Care Needs, Supplemental Security Income, and Food Insecurity.

OBJECTIVES: To assess food insecurity in low-income households with young children with/without special health care needs (SHCN) and evaluate relationships between child Supplemental Security Income (SSI) receipt and food insecurity. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey (2013-2015) of caregivers was conducted at 5 medical centers. Eligibility included index child age <48 months without private health insurance and a caregiver fluent in English or Spanish. Interviews included sociodemographics, 5-item Children with Special Health Care Needs Screener, 18-item US Food Security Survey Module, household public assistance program participation, and child SSI receipt. Household and child food insecurity, each, were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models. RESULTS: Of 6724 index children, 81.5% screened negative for SHCN, 14.8% positive for SHCN (no SSI), and 3.7% had SHCN and received SSI. After covariate control, households, with versus without a child with SHCN, were more likely to experience household (Adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 1.24, 95% confidence intervals [CI], 1.03-1.48) and child (AOR 1.35, 95% CI, 1.11-1.63) food insecurity. Among households with children with SHCN, those with children receiving, versus not receiving SSI, were more likely to report household (AOR 1.42, 95% CI, 0.97-2.09) but not child food insecurity. CONCLUSION: Low-income households with young children having SHCN are at risk for food insecurity, regardless of child SSI receipt and household participation in other public assistance programs. Policy recommendations include reevaluation of assistance programs' income and medical deduction criteria for households with children with SHCN to decrease the food insecurity risk faced by these children and their families.

Homelessness during pregnancy: a unique, time-dependent risk factor of birth outcomes.

Evaluate homelessness during pregnancy as a unique, time-dependent risk factor for adverse birth outcomes. 9,995 mothers of children <48 months old surveyed at emergency departments and primary care clinics in five US cities. Mothers were classified as either homeless during pregnancy with the index child, homeless only after the index child's birth, or consistently housed. Outcomes included birth weight as a continuous variable, as well as categorical outcomes of low birth weight (LBW; <2,500 g) and preterm delivery (<37 weeks). Multiple logistic regression and adjusted linear regression analyses were performed, comparing prenatal and postnatal homelessness with the referent group of consistently housed mothers, controlling for maternal demographic characteristics, smoking, and child age at interview. Prenatal homelessness was associated with higher adjusted odds of LBW (AOR 1.43, 95 % CI 1.14, 1.80, p < 0.01) and preterm delivery (AOR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.98, 1.56, p = 0.08), and a 53 g lower adjusted mean birth weight (p = 0.08). Postnatal homelessness was not associated with these outcomes. Prenatal homelessness is an independent risk factor for LBW, rather than merely a marker of adverse maternal and social characteristics associated with homelessness. Targeted interventions to provide housing and health care to homeless women during pregnancy may result in improved birth outcomes.

Screening for postpartum depression among low-income mothers using an interactive voice response system.

This study tested the feasibility of using an interactive voice response (IVR) phone system to screen for postpartum depression among low-income, English- and Spanish-speaking mothers. Newly delivered mothers were interviewed in the hospital. Consenting subjects completed a background questionnaire and were asked to call an automated phone system 7 days postpartum to complete an IVR version of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Screen (EPDS). During the phone screen, subjects were branched to different closing narratives based on their depression scores which were later posted to a password protected website. Logistic regression was used to assess relationships between demographic and psychosocial factors, IVR participation, and depression scores. Among 838 ethnically diverse, low income, postpartum mothers, 324 (39%) called into the automated phone screening system. Those who called were more likely to have at least a high school education (OR = 1.63, 95%CI: 1.23, 2.16), be employed (OR = 1.48, 95%CI: 1.08, 2.03) and have food secure households (OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.06, 2.13). There was no statistically significant difference between callers and non-callers in terms of marital status, race/ethnicity, parity, or self-reported history of depression. Postpartum depression symptoms were present in 17% (n = 55) and were associated with being single (AOR = 2.41, 95% CI: 1.29, 4.50), first time mother status (AOR = 2.43, 95% CI: 1.34, 4.40), temporary housing (AOR = 2.35, 95% CI: 1.30, 4.26), history of anxiety (AOR = 2.79, 95% CI: 1.69, 6.67), and history of self-harm (AOR = 2.66, 95% C: 1.01, 6.99). Automated phone screening for postpartum depression is feasible among disadvantaged mothers but those with the highest psychosocial risk factors may not choose or be able to access it. IVR could be used to supplement office- and home visit-based screening protocols and to educate patients about mental health resources.

Disparities in child access to emergency care for acute oral injury.

OBJECTIVE: We examined the impact of insurance status on dental practices' willingness to schedule an appointment for a child with a symptomatic fractured permanent front tooth. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between February and May 2010, 6 research assistants posed as mothers of a 10-year-old boy seeking an urgent dental appointment. Two calls 4 weeks apart, with the same clinical scenario, were made by the same caller to a stratified random sample of dental practices, one-half of which were enrolled in the state's combined Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) dental program. The only difference in the calls was the child's insurance coverage (Medicaid/CHIP versus private Blue Cross dental coverage). We estimated differences in the log-odds probability of scheduling an appointment for a child with public versus private insurance by using exact conditional (fixed-effects) logistic regression, which accounts for paired data. RESULTS: Of 170 paired calls to 85 dental practices (41 participating in the Medicaid program), only 36.5% of Medicaid beneficiaries obtained any appointment compared with 95.4% of Blue Cross-insured children with the same oral injury. Among dental providers enrolled in the Medicaid program, children with Medicaid were still 18.2 times more likely to be denied an appointment than privately insured counterparts (95% confidence interval: 3.1 to ∞; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Illinois dentists, including those participating in Medicaid, are less likely to see a child for an urgent dental complaint if the child has public versus private dental coverage. These results have implications for developing policies that improve access to oral health care.