Geographic Inequalities of Respiratory Health Services Utilization during Childhood in Edmonton and Calgary, Canada: A Tale of Two Cities

Young children are susceptible to respiratory diseases. Inequalities exist across socioeconomic groups for paediatric respiratory health services utilization in Alberta. However, the geographic distribution of those inequalities has not been fully explored. The aim of this study was to identify geographic inequalities in respiratory health services utilization in early childhood in Calgary and Edmonton, two major urban centres in Western Canada. We conducted a geographic analysis of data from a retrospective cohort of all singleton live births occurred between 2005 and 2010. We aggregated at area-level the total number of episodes of respiratory care (hospitalizations and emergency department visits) that occurred during the first five years of life for bronchiolitis, pneumonia, lower/upper respiratory tract infections, influenza, and asthma-wheezing. We used spatial filters to identify geographic inequalities in the prevalence of acute paediatric respiratory health services utilization in Calgary and Edmonton. The average health gap between areas with the highest and the lowest prevalence of respiratory health services utilization was 1.5-fold in Calgary and 1.4-fold in Edmonton. Geographic inequalities were not completely explained by the spatial distribution of socioeconomic status, suggesting that other unmeasured factors at the neighbourhood level may explain local variability in the use of acute respiratory health services in early childhood.

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Patterns of respiratory health services utilization from birth to 5 years of children who experienced adverse birth outcomes

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0247527 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. e0247527

Author(s):

Jesus Serrano-Lomelin ◽

Anne Hicks ◽

Manoj Kumar ◽

David W. Johnson ◽

Radha Chari ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Health Services Utilization ◽

Respiratory Health ◽

Adverse Birth Outcomes ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Appropriate For Gestational Age ◽

Ed Visits ◽

Respiratory Conditions

Introduction Adverse birth outcomes have important consequences for future lung health. We evaluated patterns of respiratory health services utilization in early childhood among children born preterm (PTB), small and large for gestational age at term (SGA and LGA, respectively), and appropriate-for-gestational age at term. Materials and methods We conducted a population-based retrospective cohort study using administrative health data of all singleton live births in Alberta, Canada between 2005–2010. Data on hospitalizations and emergency department (ED) visits from birth to 5 years were collected for asthma, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, croup, influenza, pneumonia, and other acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (other URTI and other LRTI, respectively). Adjusted rate ratios were estimated for respiratory ED visits and hospitalizations for adverse birth outcomes using the appropriate-for-gestational age at term group as reference. Age-specific trajectories of total respiratory health services utilization rates for each group were estimated in Poisson models. Results A total of 293,764 episodes of respiratory care from 206,994 children were analyzed. Very PTB children had the highest rates of health services use for all respiratory conditions, particularly for asthma, pneumonia, and bronchiolitis hospitalizations. Moderate/late PTB children also had elevated ED visits and hospitalizations for all respiratory conditions. Children born SGA showed high rates of ED visits for other LRTI, and of hospitalizations for bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and other URTI. Children born LGA had high rates of croup and other URTI ED visits, and of bronchiolitis and bronchiolitis hospitalizations. Age-specific trajectories showed a decreasing trend in the rates of total respiratory health service utilization from birth to five years of age for all groups studied. Children born PTB and LGA at term significantly required more respiratory health services over time compared to the reference group. Conclusion Patterns of paediatric respiratory health services utilization vary according to gestational age and fetal growth.

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Effect of Targeted Smoke-Free Legislation on Respiratory Health Services Utilization in Children with Asthma: A 13-Year Population-Based Trend Study

10.1164/ajrccm-conference.2020.201.1_meetingabstracts.a5956 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

R. McGihon ◽

I. Fong ◽

J. Zhu ◽

T.M. To

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Health Services Utilization ◽

Respiratory Health ◽

Population Based ◽

Trend Study ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Children With Asthma

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Nonelective hospital admissions, discharge disposition, and health services utilization in epilepsy patients: A population‐based study

Epilepsia ◽

10.1111/epi.16642 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 61 (9) ◽

pp. 1969-1978

Author(s):

Churl‐Su Kwon ◽

Bonnie Wong ◽

Parul Agarwal ◽

Jung‐Yi Lin ◽

Madhu Mazumdar ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Services ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Health Services Utilization ◽

Population Based ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Discharge Disposition

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Does the implementation of a national oral health policy reduce inequalities in oral health services utilization? The Brazilian experience

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-10586-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Helena Rodrigues Galvão ◽

Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli

Keyword(s):

Health Policy ◽

Oral Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Health Services Utilization ◽

Age Groups ◽

Public Access ◽

Services Utilization ◽

Index Of Inequality ◽

Oral Health Services ◽

Oral Health Policy

Abstract Background This study aimed to assess the trend in income-related inequalities in oral health services utilization by the Brazilian population from 1998 to 2013. This period represents a timeline that includes different stages of implementation of the National Oral Health Policy. Methods The design was based on repeated cross-sectional surveys using secondary data from household-based studies carried out in Brazil in 1998, 2003, 2008, and 2013. The dependent variable was “having access to a dentist appointment at least once in a lifetime (yes/no).” Monthly household per capita income, based on Brazil’s minimum wage, was included as the main independent variable. To measure the inequalities in oral health access related to economic position, the following complex indexes based on regression were used: (a) the slope index of inequality (SII) and (b) the relative index of inequality (RII). Results There was a reduction in the percentage of individuals who never had a dentist appointment for all age groups and income classifications. In general, there was a reduction trend in absolute inequality for all age groups (p < 0.001). The relative inequality and reduction trend were different between the age groups studied. Conclusions The National Oral Health Policy was very important for expanding free of charge, public access to dental appointment. However, despite policy implementation, there continues to be high levels of inequality in access to dental consultation. Assessing which strategies are necessary to overcome this challenge is discussed.

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