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Objectives: In 2018, approximately 2.3 million children in the United States had unmet healthcare needs (UHCN). To date, studies examining associations between UHCN and parent stress and support have had limited generalizability. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between children's UHCN and parenting stress and support using a nationally representative sample. Additionally, this study aimed to assess associations between unmet mental health needs and these parental well-being measures. Methods: Households with children ages 0–17 and complete data on UHCN in the combined 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 cohorts of the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) met inclusion criteria. Logistic regressions were used to evaluate associations between overall UHCN and outcome measures of parental coping, aggravation, emotional support, and neighborhood support. Associations between mental UHCN and these outcome measures were analyzed in a subset limited to children with mental health conditions. Regressions were adjusted for potential confounders, including demographics, household income, medical home status, and health insurance (adequacy/type). Results: In our sample of 131,299 children, overall UHCN were associated with poorer parental coping (aOR = 5.35, 95% CI: [3.60, 7.95]), greater parental aggravation (aOR = 3.35, 95% CI: [2.73, 4.12]), and non-supportive neighborhood (aOR = 2.22, 95% CI: [1.86, 2.65]). Mental UHCN were similarly associated with parental coping and aggravation and neighborhood support in the mental health subset. Conclusions for Practice: Healthcare professionals must address the needs of children with UHCN and collaborate with community organizations and child advocates to promote coordinated and comprehensive care and adequately support caregivers. Significance: What is already known on this subject?: Research has shown that parenting stress and support may impact a child's patterns of healthcare utilization. However, the relationship between parenting stress/support and unmet healthcare needs, rather than utilization, has yet to be explored in a large, nationally representative dataset. What this study adds?: In a nationally representative sample of children in the United States, overall unmet healthcare needs were found to be associated with poorer parental coping, greater parental aggravation, and living in a non-supportive neighborhood. Mental unmet healthcare needs were associated with the same measures among children with mental health conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 2015 Asian American Quality of Life Survey ( N = 2,609), latent profile analysis was conducted on general (health insurance, usual place for care and income) and immigrant-specific (nativity, length of stay in the U.S., English proficiency and acculturation) risk factors of healthcare access. Latent profile analysis identified a three-cluster model (low-risk, moderate-risk and high-risk groups). Compared with the low-risk group, the odds of having an unmet healthcare need was 1.52 times greater in the moderate-risk group and 2.24 times greater in the high-risk group. Challenging the myth of model minority, the present sample of Asian Americans demonstrates its vulnerability in access to healthcare. Findings also show the heterogeneity in healthcare access risk profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Existing literature shows that maternal exposure to violence has negative consequences on the health and behavioral outcomes of their children, but how it affects unmet child healthcare needs is unknown., Objectives: To examine associations between maternal violence exposure and unmet child healthcare needs in vulnerable families., Participants and Setting: We used data from the third and fifth years of Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a birth cohort study of urban children born between 1998 and 2000 n = 2848., Methods: Mothers completed a self-reported questionnaire or interview. Maternal violence exposure was measured through direct (victim) and indirect (witness) exposure. Unmet child healthcare needs was operationalized through: not having seen a doctor when needed, not having a well-child visit in the past year, and never had a dental check-up., Results: In adjusted logistic regression models, children of mothers who were victims of violence were more likely to not have seen a doctor when needed (odds ratio = 3.36, p < 0.01), not have a well-child visit in the past year (odds ratio = 2.50, p < 0.01), and never have a dental check-up (odds ratio = 1.54, p < 0.01). There was no association between maternal witnessing violence and unmet child healthcare needs., Conclusions: In this study of urban children, having a mother who was a victim of violence was associated with unmet healthcare needs. These findings underscore the need to invest in efforts to reduce the prevalence of violence. Such efforts would reduce unmet child healthcare needs in vulnerable families., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors have no conflict of interest relevant to this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)