Tahsin Farah, Holcomb Leah, Charron Elizabeth, Dickes Lori, Mayo Rachel, Sherrill Windsor, Hudson Jennifer, Bedi Julie
Department of Political Science, 2023 Barre Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Department of Public Health Sciences, 503 Edwards Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA.
Healthcare (Basel). 2025 Jun 27;13(13):1539. doi: 10.3390/healthcare13131539.
This retrospective cohort study compared well-child visits (WCVs) and immunization encounters from birth to age three among rural and urban South Carolina (SC) Medicaid-enrolled children with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). We applied logistic and Poisson regression models to examine associations between rural status and the number of WCVs, WCV adherence, and immunization encounters. : The sample included 833 urban and 161 rural children with NOWS born between 2006 and 2014. Significant differences existed between groups in the number of WCVs and immunization encounters each year from birth to age three ( = < 0.01 for all the comparisons). After covariate adjustment, rural compared to urban status was associated with decreased WCVs from birth to 11 months (incidence rate ratio (IRR): 0.85; 95% CI: 0.77-0.93) and 12 to 23 months (IRR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.69-0.93). Rural status was not significantly associated with decreased WCVs from 24 to 35 months (IRR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.63-1.03). Rural compared to urban status was associated with a 34% lower odds of WCV adherence from 12 to 23 months (odds ratio (OR): 0.66; 95% CI: 0.44-0.99). Furthermore, rural compared to urban status was associated with decreased immunization encounters from birth to 11 months (IRR: 0.60; 95% CI: 0.52-0.69), 12 to 23 months (IRR: 0.61; 95% CI: 0.50-0.71), and 24 to 35 months (IRR: 0.55; 95% CI: 0.40-0.76). Rurality was associated with decreased WCVs and immunization encounters among children with a history of NOWS residing in SC. Policy interventions, including telehealth services and expanded Medicaid access, could improve WCV and immunization rates among these children.
这项回顾性队列研究比较了南卡罗来纳州(SC)农村和城市地区参加医疗补助计划且患有新生儿阿片类药物戒断综合征(NOWS)的儿童从出生到三岁期间的健康儿童就诊(WCV)情况和免疫接种情况。我们应用逻辑回归和泊松回归模型来研究农村地区与WCV次数、WCV依从性以及免疫接种情况之间的关联。样本包括2006年至2014年出生的833名城市NOWS儿童和161名农村NOWS儿童。从出生到三岁,两组儿童每年的WCV次数和免疫接种情况存在显著差异(所有比较的P值均<0.01)。在进行协变量调整后,与城市地区相比,农村地区与出生至11个月(发病率比(IRR):0.85;95%置信区间:0.77 - 0.93)以及12至23个月(IRR:0.80;95%置信区间:0.69 - 0.93)的WCV次数减少有关。农村地区与24至35个月的WCV次数减少无显著关联(IRR:0.81;95%置信区间:0.63 - 1.03)。与城市地区相比,农村地区在12至23个月时WCV依从性的几率低34%(优势比(OR):0.66;95%置信区间:0.44 - 0.99)。此外,与城市地区相比,农村地区与出生至11个月(IRR:0.60;95%置信区间:0.52 - 0.69)、12至23个月(IRR:0.61;95%置信区间:0.50 - 0.71)以及24至35个月(IRR:0.55;95%置信区间:0.40 - 0.76)的免疫接种次数减少有关。农村地区与居住在南卡罗来纳州有NOWS病史的儿童的WCV次数和免疫接种情况减少有关。包括远程医疗服务和扩大医疗补助计划覆盖范围在内的政策干预措施可以提高这些儿童的WCV和免疫接种率。