Role of health insurance and a usual source of medical care in age-appropriate vaccination.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the associations of having health insurance and having a usual source of medical care with age-appropriate childhood vaccination.


METHODS
Simulations were conducted with multivariate logistic regression models and a nationally representative sample of children to assess the likelihood of age-appropriate vaccination.


RESULTS
Simulated provision of health insurance and a usual source of medical care produced substantial increases in the likelihood of doses being received age-appropriately. Increases in the likelihood of a child's being up to date were also observed, but these increases typically were smaller than for age-appropriate vaccination.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in childhood vaccination status should be assessed in age-appropriate terms, because measures of "up to date" status may not capture the effects of immunization interventions.
Dombkowski
Kevin J
KJ
Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan, 300 N. Ingalls, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-0456, USA. kjd@med.umich.edu
Lantz
Paula M
PM
Freed
Gary L
GL
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*