(February 16, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

The prevalence of chronic health conditions in increasing among children in the United States, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here are some recommendations for responding to the needs of children with chronic health conditions, which were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal:

•       Raise public awareness about health reform related to improvement of health care services for children with chronic conditions

•       Recognize that chronic conditions, even the same conditions, affect children differently from adults

•       Make systematic efforts to ensure that current the needs of children with chronic health conditions and their families are incorporated into policies and practices for their care.

Researchers out of Mass General Hospital for Children in Boston explored the evolution of obesity and other chronic conditions among children by analyzing three consecutive cohorts of children living in the United States who formed part of the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth-Child Cohort (1988-2006). Children were aged 2 to 8 at baseline, and each group was followed up for six years, from 1988 to 1994 for cohort 1, 1994 to 2000 for cohort 2, and 2000 to 2006 for cohort 3. Chronic conditions were grouped into four categories: obesity, asthma, other physical conditions, and behavior/learning problems.

Results highlighted the dynamic nature of chronic conditions among children. Overall, 7.4% of participants reported having chronic conditions at the outset of the study that persisted for the full follow-up period, while 9.3% had chronic conditions that resolved during the follow-up period. Another 13.4% developed chronic conditions during the follow-up period. The prevalence of chronic conditions increased as time went on, with 12.8% having a chronic condition at study’s end in cohort 1, 25.1% in cohort 2, and 26.6% in cohort 3. The prevalence of having a chronic condition at any time during the study period was highest for cohort 3 and was also higher among males as well as Hispanic and black youth.

Today’s research demonstrates that chronic conditions among children are dynamic and on the rise. These findings can help with the design of appropriate health policy directed at children.