title: Assessing a Public Health Intervention for Children in Barbados, 2003-2008.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In 2003, Barbados, a developing country with universal health care, launched the Barbados Strategic Plan for Health, a national intervention to promote public health. Teachers, health educators, and clinicians worked to improve children's health, with particular focus on asthma and diabetes. We studied this intervention by using data on preventable hospitalization, an indicator that assesses both the overall effectiveness of public health and access to primary health care. The purpose of this study was to assess the Barbados Strategic Plan for Health by measuring rates of preventable hospitalization among children. Few researchers have studied these hospitalizations for children, and only 1 study has done so in a developing country.
  
  
  METHODS
  We calculated annual (2003-2008) population-based rates of preventable hospitalizations from birth through age 19, both summary and disease-specific, for the 5 conditions that define the indicator for children: asthma, diabetes, gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, and perforated appendix.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Across the 6 years, the population rates of preventable hospitalizations increased 115.4% for boys and 67.2% for girls (both P < .001). Asthma accounted for much of the increase. Regression analysis indicated that the average annual increase in asthma hospitalization for boys was 0.45 per 1,000, an average annual increase of 20.6% of the baseline rate. These results suggest generally increasing rates of hospitalization for asthma for boys. There was no evidence of a corresponding rate trend for girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Results suggest an opportunity to improve public health education and access to primary health care. Public health professionals in developing countries can use the approaches of this study to evaluate initiatives to improve child health.
authors: Department of Management, Fayetteville State University, 1200 Murchison Rd, Fayetteville, NC 28301. Email: Jbushell@uncfsu.edu.
authors: Jennifer H
authors: JH
authors: Bushelle-Edghill
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors: Sarah B
authors: SB
authors: Laditka
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors: James N
authors: JN
authors: Laditka
authors: Department of Public Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina.
authors: Larissa R
authors: LR
authors: Brunner Huber
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D001064:Appendicitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001249:Asthma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001460:Barbados / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002673:Child, Hospitalized / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D005759:Gastroenteritis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods*; D019984:Quality Indicators, Health Care / Q000592:standards; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D014481:United States; D014552:Urinary Tract Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D055815:Young Adult