RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Impact of functional somatic symptoms on 5–7-year-olds' healthcare use and costs
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 617
OP 623
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2016-311808
VO 102
IS 7
A1 Troels Græsholt-Knudsen
A1 Anne Mette Skovgaard
A1 Jens Søndergaard Jensen
A1 Charlotte Ulrikka Rask
YR 2017
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/102/7/617.abstract
AB Objective Knowledge about childhood functional somatic symptoms (FSS) and healthcare costs is scarce. This study aims to assess whether FSS in children aged 5–7 years are associated with increased future primary healthcare.Design At baseline of the observational cohort study, between years 2005 and 2007, 1327 children from the Copenhagen Child Cohort were assessed at ages 5–7 years for FSS and chronic physical diseases using the Soma Assessment Interview. Information on primary healthcare use was obtained from the National Health Insurance Service Register, and measured as the price of all medical services outside the hospital during a 4.5-year follow-up period from the day of assessment. Regression with bootstrap bias-corrected and accelerated CIs were performed.Results 1018 (76.8%) children had no FSS with primary healthcare use adjusted for other child health problems, maternal education and family changes of €448.2, 388.2–523.8 and number of face-to-face contacts: 11.90, 10.71–13.25; 250 (18.9%) had FSS with healthcare use €441.0, 355.0–550.3 and face-to-face contacts: 11.22, 9.60–12.91, and 58 (4.4%) had impairing FSS with healthcare use: €625.9, 447.9–867.8 and face-to-face contacts: 14.65, 11.20–19.00. In unadjusted regression analysis, impairing FSS were associated with increased healthcare use (increased costs: €246.0, 67.6–494.3). The adjusted association was slightly attenuated (increased costs: €177.8, 1.3–417.0).Conclusions Impairing FSS in children aged 5–7 years is a predictor for the child's future primary healthcare use. More research on complex predictive models is needed to further explore the clinical significance of these results, and to contribute to the underpinning of early interventions towards impairing FSS in children.