Comparing Health Status, Health Trajectories and Use of Health and Social Services between Children with and without Developmental Disabilities: A Population-based Longitudinal Study in Manitoba

Abstract

Background: Little information exists on health of children with developmental disabilities (DDs) in the Canadian province of Manitoba.

Method: The present authors linked 12 years of administrative data and compared health status, changes in health and access to health and social services between children with (n = 1877) and without (n = 5661) DDs living in the province, matched by age, sex and region of residence.

Results: Children with DDs were significantly more likely than children in the matched comparison group to die before the age of 17 and have a history of respiratory illness, diabetes and injury-related hospitalizations. Children with DD also had significantly higher average number of ambulatory physician visits and higher rate of continuity of care.

Conclusions: Children with DDs had poorer health status than the matched comparison group. The health disparities experienced by children with DDs persisted over time. Further population-based longitudinal research is needed in this area.

Keywords: administrative data; children; developmental disabilities; health services utilization; health status; health trajectories.