Degree Date
2020
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Social Work and Social Research
Abstract
Among children under three experiencing housing insecurity associated with poor developmental outcomes and decreased medical visit adherence, parental lack of awareness of the Early Intervention program (EI) may foreshadow racial and economic disparities in EI utilization rates. Informed by a social determinants of health and health equity model, I explore whether housing insecurity impacts children’s access to routine well-child pediatric visits where parents have opportunities to become aware of EI. Utilizing logistic regression analyses of cross-sectional telephone interview data collected from parents of three-year-old children in Rochester, NY, I find that parents of multiracial and African American children are less likely than parents of white and Latinx children to be aware of the EI program despite achieving continuity of care. Findings persisted when controlling for parental concern about children’s development and children’s health at birth. Implications for social work practice and policy with children and families experiencing housing insecurity are discussed.
Citation
Farash, Sarah M. "Impacts of Housing Insecurity on Health Care Utilization and Parental Awareness of the Early Intervention Program." Ph.D. diss., Bryn Mawr College, 2020.