Reasons mothers of young children delayed or skipped preventive health care during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lay Summary Mothers of young children may experience barriers to receiving preventive health care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continued delay or skipping of these services may negatively impact mothers' health and decreases opportunity for intervention. We conducted an online survey of mothers of children 0-12 years old who live in the United States. We asked mothers whether they had delayed or skipped their routine physical examination during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and if so, reasons they delayed or skipped care. From March 2020 to March 2021, 16% of mothers delayed their physical examination, 21% skipped their physical examination appointment, and 21% had not planned on receiving a physical examination. The most common reasons for delaying and skipping care were COVID-19 infection concerns, perception that delaying care would not negatively impact health, provider rescheduling, time, and childcare. Primary care teams may need to re-engage mothers who skipped preventive care during the pandemic, including addressing concerns about COVID-19 infection. Background Preventive health care provides opportunity for preventive screenings and health promotion. Mothers of young children may disproportionately experience barriers to preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We examined delaying and skipping preventive health care during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic among mothers and described reasons for delaying or skipping care. Mothers of children aged 0-12 years from the United States completed an online survey in February/March 2021 and reported receipt of preventive care during the COVID-19 pandemic, reasons for delaying or skipping care, demographics, and experiences with COVID-19. Results Participants (N = 306) were on average 35.9 (SD: 6.2) years old, racially/ethnically diverse, and 74.8% had at least a Bachelor's degree. From March 2020 to March 2021, 16.0% delayed and 20.6% skipped their physical examination, and 20.9% had not planned on receiving a physical examination. The most common reasons for delaying and skipping care were COVID-19 infection concerns, perception that delaying care would not negatively impact health, provider rescheduling, time, and childcare. Conclusions Primary care teams may need to re-engage mothers who skipped preventive care during the pandemic, including addressing concerns about COVID-19 infection.