Associations of the type of childcare with reported preventive medical and dental care utilization for 1- to 5-year-old children in the United States

Abstract

Despite that the majority of US children use nonparental childcare (NPC), research examining its effects on children's preventive healthcare utilization is lacking. Our aim was to contrast NPC against parental childcare in terms of preventive medical and dental care utilization. Associations of childcare and healthcare utilization were evaluated using the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health, a telephone interview of parent-reported children's health (22,773 children ages 1- to 5-year old). The type of childcare was categorized as parental care, center-based care (CBC), nonrelative home care (NRHC), relative care (RCC), and mixed care (MCC). The outcome measures were preventive medical care (≥ 1 physical examination/well child check-up visit) and preventive dental care (≥ 1 check-ups/dental cleanings visit) during the past 12 months. Overall, 94.7% of 1- to 5-year-old children received preventive medical care, while only 53.6% received preventive dental care. The highest odds for preventive medical care was for 1- to 2-year-old children utilizing CBC [Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.11-7.30] and for 3- to 5-year-old children utilizing MCC (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.23-3.26) followed by CBC (OR = 1.66, 95% CI = 1.13-2.42). Considering preventive dental care, a statistically significant increase occurred for 1- to 2-year-old children with CBC (OR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.62-2.30), and none occurred for any NPC above the parental childcare rates for 3- to 5-year-old children. Childcare use, particularly center-based care, may provide a means to raise preventive healthcare utilization for young children. Future regulations, as well as policy and program development, should consider promoting childcare settings as a means to improve preventive health care utilization.