Child Maltreatment and Pediatric Health Outcomes: A Longitudinal Study of Low-income Children

Objective To examine if maltreatment predicted increased risk of hospital-based treatment prior to age 18 years for asthma, cardio-respiratory, and non-sexually transmitted infectious disease in a sample of low-income children. Methods This study used administrative data from multiple systems to follow children for 12-18 years (N = 6,282). Cox regression was used to explore the risk of first hospital treatment by disease category. Negative binomial regression was used to explore the relationship between recurrent maltreatment and total hospital care episodes. Results Controlling for individual, family, and community factors, children with maltreatment reports had a 74-100% higher risk of hospital treatment. Recurrent reports predicted a higher count of hospital care episodes. Conclusions The negative health impact of maltreatment prior to adulthood supports the need for early prevention and intervention to prevent initial and recurrent child abuse and improve capacity to meet healthcare needs of maltreated children.