Hospitalization for respiratory syncytial virus among California infants: disparities related to race, insurance, and geography.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate population-based rates of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV)-associated infant hospitalizations related to race/ethnicity, payer source, and geography in California.


METHODS
Retrospective analysis of RSV-coded infant hospitalizations were performed using the California patient discharge data for 1999 to 2003. All discharge records for infants younger than 1 year of age with an ICD-9-CM code for any RSV-related illness (466.11, 480.1, or 079.6) among any of the diagnosis fields were selected for analysis (n = 45,330). Rates were expressed as the number of RSV-associated hospitalizations per 1000 live births in the same calendar year.


RESULTS
Infants enrolled in MediCal (California's version of the United States' national Medicaid program) had a relative risk of 2.03 (95% CI, 1.99 to 2.06) compared with non-MediCal payers (24.3 vs 12.0/1000 live births, respectively). The 1999 to 2003 rates per 1000 live births of RSV-associated hospitalizations for MediCal payers by race/ethnicity were: non-Hispanic white (34.9), African-American (27.9), Hispanic (21.8), Asian/Pacific Islander (12.5), and American Indian/Alaska Native (12.2).


CONCLUSIONS
RSV was the leading cause of infant hospitalizations in California between 1999 and 2003. RSV hospitalization rates were highest among non-Hispanic white MediCal insured infants.
Sangaré
Laura
L
Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. lsangare@u.washington.edu
Curtis
Michael P
MP
Ahmad
Shabbir
S
D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*