Ear infections are one of the most common health problems for children. If left untreated, complications can include hearing loss and speech problems. Severe infections can spread to the brain and may even lead to meningitis.
A new study looking at racial disparities in access to health care for children has presented some startling findings. The research was conducted by scientists at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and Harvard Medical School and concluded that the racial and ethnic makeup of children with frequent ear infections can significantly influence access to health care resources.
The issue is that all children do not have access to medical specialists if the aforementioned outcomes manifest.
The findings, published in the November 2010 issue of the journal Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, revealed that compared with white children, black children are at increased odds of not being able to afford prescription medications as well as not having medical insurance that would allow them to see a specialist. It also notes that African American children are more likely than white children to visit the emergency room for treatment of an ear infection. Specifically, a greater percentage of African American children (28.4 percent) visited the emergency room at least twice for ear infections over a 12-month period than white children (15.5 percent).
Using data from a 10-year period (1997–2006) taken from the National Health Interview Survey, the study showed that a greater percentage of African American children (42.7 percent) lived below the poverty level than white children (12.0 percent) and that a greater percentage of white children (29.2 percent) reported having access to specialty care than African American children (20.0 percent). –torrance stephens, ph.d.
