Transition to adulthood: delays and unmet needs among adolescents and young adults with asthma.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of the transition to adulthood on financial and non-financial barriers to care in youth with asthma.


METHODS
With National Health Interview Survey data from 2000 to 2005, we examined delays and unmet needs because of financial and non-financial barriers, evaluating the effect of adolescent (age, 12-17 years; n = 1539) versus young adult age (age, 18-24 years; N = 833), controlling for insurance, usual source of care, and sociodemographic characteristics. We also simulated the effects of providing public insurance to uninsured patients and a usual source of care to patients without one.


RESULTS
More young adults than adolescents encountered financial barriers resulting in delays (18.6% versus 8%, P < .05) and unmet needs (26.6% versus 11.4%, P < .05), although delays caused by non-financial barriers were similar (17.3% versus 14.9%, P = not significant). In logistic models young adults were more likely than adolescents to report delays (odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% CI, 1.02-2.08) and unmet needs (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.29-2.52) caused by financial barriers.


CONCLUSIONS
Delays and unmet needs for care caused by financial reasons are significantly higher for young adults than they are for adolescents with asthma.
Scal
Peter
P
Department of Pediatrics, Medical School, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. scal0005@umn.edu
Davern
Michael
M
Ireland
Marjorie
M
Park
Kyong
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage; D007348:Insurance, Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D017057:Medically Uninsured / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States