title: The extent and patterns of multiple chronic conditions in low-income children.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Little is known about the magnitude of multiple chronic conditions (MCC) in children. This study describes the prevalence of and patterns of comorbidities in children receiving Medicaid assistance.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diagnoses from 5 years of Medicaid claims data were reviewed and identified 128,044 children with chronic conditions. The relationship between comorbidities and significant urgent health care events was analyzed using logistic regression modeling.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than 15,000 children (12%) had claims for more than 1 condition. The most frequent combination was asthma and allergic rhinitis. Significant health care events ranged from 18% to 51% in children, and the odds of having a significant event increased with each additional condition. Those with ≥4 conditions had 4.5 times the odds of a significant event compared with those with 1 condition (P < .0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MCC are prevalent in low-income children and are associated with greater risk for urgent health care use.
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA Deceased.
authors: Noreen M
authors: NM
authors: Clark
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA lauriel@umich.edu.
authors: Laurie
authors: L
authors: Lachance
authors: US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors: M Beth
authors: MB
authors: Benedict
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Roderick
authors: R
authors: Little
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Harvey
authors: H
authors: Leo
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Daniel F
authors: DF
authors: Awad
authors: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
authors: Margaret K
authors: MK
authors: Wilkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D011203:Poverty / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: US; asthma; health care utilization; low income children; medicaid claims; multiple chronic conditions; patterns of comorbidities