Recommendations for Preventive Pediatric Health Care

The objective of this study was to compare the receipt of preventive health services for children with and without special health care needs and to identify predictors of these health services for children with special health care needs using nationally representative data. Data from the 2002 and 2003 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys were analyzed. A total of 18 279 children aged 3 to 17 years were included in our study. The Child Preventive Health Supplement was used to identify caregiver recall of specific health screening measures and anticipatory guidance during the previous 12 months. Odds ratios were calculated for predictive factors of preventive services for children with special health care needs.