Title |
Social disparities among youth and the impact on their health
|
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Published in |
Adolescent Health, Medicine and Therapeutics, March 2015
|
DOI | 10.2147/ahmt.s64903 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Catherine Kreatsoulas, Areej Hassan, SV Subramanian, Eric W Fleegler |
Abstract |
Social disparities among youth have been recognized as an important influence on disease risk later in the life cycle. Despite this, social problems are seldom assessed in a clinical setting. The primary objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of social disparities on the health of youth. A self-directed, web-based screening system was used to identify social disparities along seven social domains. Participants included youth, aged 15-24 years, recruited from an urban hospital clinic. The main outcome variable, self-rated health, was captured on a 5-point Likert scale. Univariable and multivariable regression models adjusted for sex, age, and race/ethnicity were implemented to assess the association between social problems and self-rated health. Correlation between social disparity problems was estimated using phi coefficient. Among 383 participants, 297 (78%) reported at least one social problem. The correlation among social disparity problems was low. Social disparities had an independent effect on self-rated health, and, in a fully adjusted model, disparities in health care access and food insecurity remained significant. The presence of even one social problem was associated with a decrease in overall health (β=0.68, P<0.01). There is a high burden of social disparities among our youth urban hospital population. The presence of even one social problem increases the risk of worsening self-rated health. Evaluating the social disparities among youth in the medical setting can help elucidate factors that negatively affect patients' health. |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
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Unknown | 40 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
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Researcher | 10 | 25% |
Student > Bachelor | 6 | 15% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 4 | 10% |
Other | 3 | 8% |
Student > Master | 2 | 5% |
Other | 5 | 13% |
Unknown | 10 | 25% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 23% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 6 | 15% |
Social Sciences | 6 | 15% |
Business, Management and Accounting | 2 | 5% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 1 | 3% |
Other | 4 | 10% |
Unknown | 12 | 30% |