title: Maternal Health-Seeking on Behalf of Low-Income Children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Women receiving Medicaid account for almost one-third of the childbearing population in the United States, an extensive investment for federal and state governments. Gaps and conflicting research results exist that explain/predict maternal health-seeking behavior for vulnerable children. Public health nurses (PHN) need evidence to design interventions that improve maternal health-seeking and child health outcomes. The purpose of this study was to examine factors: maternal (key influences), child, and household that contribute to maternal health-seeking behavior.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design was a descriptive, correlational, longitudinal study (n = 1,141 mother-child dyads).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children were more likely to receive preventive medical care if they had a medical condition (OR: 1.60, p < .01) and had access to private transportation (OR: 1.49, p < .05). Children of married mothers (OR: 1.51, p < .01) and access to private transportation (OR: 1.47, p < .05) received more preventive dental care. African-American mothers (OR: 0.61, p < .01) and mothers with higher self-reported health status (OR: 0.84, p < .05) sought less illness-related medical child health services (CHS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maternal health-seeking behavior in low-income households is complex. Predictors may depend on whether care is preventive or illness-related, medical, or dental. Further study should clarify what factors predict what type of CHS use to better specify PHN interventions.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Katherine Laux
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Barry Hultquist
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Services Research and Administration, University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Public Health, Omaha, Nebraska.
authors.forename: Li-Wu
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008484:Medicaid; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011203:Poverty; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: child health; prevention; self-rated health; women's health