Association of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage With Complicated Appendicitis in Children.

BACKGROUND

Lower socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to poorer outcomes for a variety of health conditions in children, potentially through delay in accessing care. The objective of this study was to measure the association between SES and delay in surgical care as marked by presentation with complicated appendicitis (CA).

METHODS

Children treated for acute appendicitis between 2015-2019 at a large academic children's hospital were reviewed. Patient home addresses were used to calculate travel time to the children's hospital and to determine Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a neighborhood-level SES marker. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to compare the likelihood of CA across ADI while adjusting for confounders.

RESULTS

Of 1,697 children with acute appendicitis, 38.8% had CA. Compared to those with uncomplicated disease, children with CA were younger, lived farther from the children's hospital, and were more likely to have Medicaid insurance and have ED visits in the 30 days preceding diagnosis. Children with CA disproportionately came from disadvantaged neighborhoods (P < 0.007), with 32% from the two most disadvantaged ADI deciles. The odds of CA rose 5% per ADI decile-increase (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.09, P = 0.02). Younger age and >60-min travel time were also associated with CA. Association between ADI and CA remained among younger (<10 y) children (aOR 1.07, 95%CI 1.00-1.15, P = 0.048) and those living closer (<30 min) to the hospital (aOR 1.06, 95%CI 1.01-1.11, p=0.02).

CONCLUSIONS

ADI is associated with CA among children, suggesting ADI may be a valuable marker of difficulty accessing surgical care among disadvantaged children.