Méloë Maigné, Gabriel Côté-Corriveau, Aimina Ayoub, Marianne Bilodeau-Bertrand, Nathalie Auger
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: In the U.S., Black children have disproportionately elevated rates of pediatric morbidity compared with White children, but data are lacking for other countries. We studied the extent to which Black Haitians were at risk of pediatric morbidity in Canada.
Methods: We analyzed a retrospective cohort of 736,498 children born in Quebec between 2008 and 2020. We identified Black Haitians using the mother tongue and birth country of parents. The outcome was mortality or hospitalization for infectious diseases, allergy, cancer, and other morbidity between birth and 12 years of age. We estimated hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for these outcomes, comparing Haitians with non-Haitians in Cox regression models adjusted for patient characteristics.
Results: Compared with non-Haitians, Haitians tended to have a greater risk of pediatric mortality, especially before age 2 years (HR 1.56, 95% CI 1.00-2.45). However, Haitian children had a lower risk of hospitalization than non-Haitian children (HR 0.61, 95% CI 0.59-0.63). Haitians were less likely to be hospitalized for infectious diseases, allergies, appendicitis, cancers, fractures, dental caries, and ophthalmologic conditions. Hospitalization rates were low throughout childhood, even though Haitian children were more likely to be born preterm, develop severe neonatal morbidity, and have other adverse outcomes at birth.
Conclusion: Haitian children have an elevated risk of neonatal morbidity and early childhood mortality, but lower risk of hospitalization compared with non-Haitians in Canada. The reasons for the disparity are unclear, but greater effort is needed to address potential gaps in healthcare among Black children.
期刊介绍:
Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities reports on the scholarly progress of work to understand, address, and ultimately eliminate health disparities based on race and ethnicity. Efforts to explore underlying causes of health disparities and to describe interventions that have been undertaken to address racial and ethnic health disparities are featured. Promising studies that are ongoing or studies that have longer term data are welcome, as are studies that serve as lessons for best practices in eliminating health disparities. Original research, systematic reviews, and commentaries presenting the state-of-the-art thinking on problems centered on health disparities will be considered for publication. We particularly encourage review articles that generate innovative and testable ideas, and constructive discussions and/or critiques of health disparities.Because the Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities receives a large number of submissions, about 30% of submissions to the Journal are sent out for full peer review.