Abstract P265: Do Social Determinants of Health for Children’s Cardiometabolic Health Differ by Family Structure Type?

Abstract

Introduction: Social determinants of health (SDoH) impact cardiometabolic health, and certain SDoH that critically influence cardiometabolic health, such as adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), differ by family structure type. In particular, children living in grandparent-headed households experience a higher number of ACEs, on average, than children living in parent-headed households. Yet, there is limited understanding of whether/how SDoH might impact cardiometabolic health risk in children by family structure type. Purpose: We assessed selected SDoH factors known to influence children’s cardiometabolic health risk, stratified by family structure type (two-parent, single-parent, and grandparent-headed households). Methods: Utilizing data from the 2019-2020 National Survey of Children’s Health, we evaluated 9 SDoH (race/ethnicity, ACEs, health insurance status, received medical care for health conditions, received preventive check-ups, received food/cash assistance, food insufficiency, school engagement, and living in a safe neighborhood). All these factors were compared by family structure type by using a second-order Rao and Scott X 2 tests. Results: Among children aged 6-17 years (n=48,901), we found all 9 SDoH significantly differed by family structure type at p<0.05. Results for each SDoH were as follows, with proportions shown for two-parent, single-parent, and grandparent-headed households, respectively, for each SDoH. Racial/ethnic minorities: 44%, 63%, and 59%; children experiencing ≥ 2 ACEs: 13.3%, 44.2%, and 54.1%; proportion uninsured: 6.3%, 8.3%, and 8.5%; proportion received medical care during past 12 months: 84.1%, 78.3%, and 78.4%; proportion received preventive check-ups during past 12 months; 80.1%, 72.5%, and 74.3%; proportion with food insufficiency: 26.2%, 45.1%, and 38.4%; proportion receiving food/cash assistance: 32.2%, 61.2%, and 73.1%; proportion with children “engaged in school”: 85.8%, 77.3%, and 79.4%; proportion living in unsafe neighborhoods: 4.3%, 8.8%, and 5.4%. Conclusions: Our findings show children living in grandparent-headed and single-headed households are more adversely affected by these cardiometabolic health-related SDoH than those living in two-parent households, and thus may be populations at particularly high risk for poor cardiometabolic health. Further investigations are needed to help identify modifiable factors that may influence the associations among family structure type, SDoH, and cardiometabolic health risk in children.