Studies document various associated health risks for children with developmental disabilities
(DDs). Further study is needed by disability type. Using the 2006-2010 National Health
Interview Surveys, we assessed the prevalence of numerous medical conditions (e.g.
asthma, frequent diarrhea/colitis, seizures), health care use measures (e.g. seeing
a medical specialist and >9 office visits in past year), health impact measures (e.g.
needing help with personal care), and selected indicators of unmet health needs (e.g.
unable to afford needed prescription medications) among a nationally representative
sample of children ages 3-17 years, with and without DDs. Children in four mutually
exclusive developmental disability groups: autism (N = 375), intellectual disability
(ID) without autism (N = 238); attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) without
autism or ID (N = 2901); and learning disability (LD) or other developmental delay
without ADHD, autism, or ID (N = 1955); were compared to children without DDs (N =
35,775) on each condition or health care measure of interest. Adjusted odds ratios
(aORs) were calculated from weighted logistic regression models that accounted for
the complex sample design. Prevalence estimates for most medical conditions examined
were moderately to markedly higher for children in all four DD groups than children
without DDs. Most differences were statistically significant after adjustment for
child sex, age, race/ethnicity, and maternal education. Children in all DD groups
also had significantly higher estimates for health care use, impact, and unmet needs
measures than children without DDs. This study provides empirical evidence that children
with DDs require increased pediatric and specialist services, both for their core
functional deficits and concurrent medical conditions.
Published by Elsevier Ltd.