Study Examines Links Between Childhood Obesity and Use of Healthcare Services

A new AHRQ-funded analysis that is part of an ongoing series about child health has quantified how different types of healthcare utilization, such as regular checkups and prescription fills, are associated with obesity among children. The report, published in Academic Pediatrics and based on 2010-15 data from AHRQ’s Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, concluded:

Among children ages 7 to 17, the prevalence of obesity was lower among those with private insurance (15.5 percent) than for those who were publicly insured (25.7 percent) or uninsured (19.8 percent).
Children ages 7 to 11 with obesity were less likely to report a well-child visit.
Children overall with obesity were less likely than nonobese children to have regular dentist appointments.

The “Annual Report on Children's Healthcare: Healthcare Access and Utilization by Obesity Status in the United States,” is the 14th in a series of analyses on healthcare use for children. Access the abstract.