Table 1.—
Baseline Characteristics of Children (2–17 Years of Age) in the 2012–2015 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys
| Characteristic | Full Sample (n = 34,633) (n/%) | Headache Cohort (n = 779) (n/%) | Non-Headache Cohort (n = 33,854) (n/%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age category | |||
| 3–5 years | 6881 (19.7) | 25 (3.6) | 6856 (20.1) |
| 6–11 years | 14,079 (39.1) | 248 (28.3) | 13,831 (39.4) |
| 12–17 years | 13,673 (41.2) | 506 (68.1) | 13,167 (40.5) |
| Sex | |||
| Male | 17,727 (50.9) | 348 (41.2) | 17,379 (51.2) |
| Female | 16,906 (49.1) | 431 (58.8) | 16,475 (48.8) |
| Race/Ethnicity | |||
| White/Non-Hispanic | 9389 (51.3) | 255 (60) | 9134 (51.1) |
| Black | 7301 (14) | 168 (14.5) | 7133 (14) |
| Hispanic | 14,233 (24.1) | 297 (18.7) | 13,936 (24.3) |
| Native American | 153 (0.6) | 4 (0.6) | 149 (0.6) |
| Asian/Pac Islander | 1968 (5) | 13 (0.9) | 1955 (5.1) |
| Multiple | 1589 (5) | 42 (5.3) | 1547 (5) |
| Region | |||
| Northeast | 5052 (16.6) | 127 (22.2) | 4925 (16.5) |
| Midwest | 6392 (21.2) | 169 (23) | 6223 (21.1) |
| South | 13,103 (38) | 261 (33.1) | 12,842 (38.2) |
| West | 10,086 (24.2) | 222 (21.6) | 9864 (24.3) |
| Insurance coverage | |||
| Any private | 13,604 (58.1) | 339 (64.3) | 13,265 (57.9) |
| Public only | 19,158 (37.7) | 409 (33.4) | 18,749 (37.9) |
| Uninsured | 1871 (4.2) | 31 (2.3) | 1840 (4.2) |
| Income category | |||
| Poor/negative | 11,900 (20.3) | 266 (19.6) | 11,634 (20.3) |
| Near poor | 2691 (5.7) | 51 (5.3) | 2640 (5.7) |
| Low | 6508 (16.3 | 142 (16.8) | 6366 (16.3) |
| Middle | 8285 (29.9) | 199 (30.7) | 8086 (29.9) |
| High | 5249 (27.8) | 121 (27.5) | 5128 (27.8) |
| Usual source of care | |||
| No | 3488 (8.4) | 44 (4.6) | 3444 (8.5) |
| Yes | 30,325 (91.6) | 728 (95.4) | 29,597 (91.5) |
| Anxiety | |||
| No | 33,906 (97) | 729 (91.2) | 33,177 (97.1) |
| Yes | 727 (2.9) | 50 (8.8) | 677 (2.9) |
| Depression | |||
| No | 33,943 (97.6) | 725 (92.2) | 33,218 (97.7) |
| Yes | 690 (2.4) | 54 (7.8) | 636 (2.3) |
| ADHD | |||
| No | 32,385 (92.4) | 676 (88.1) | 31,709 (92.5) |
| Yes | 2248 (7.6) | 103 (11.9) | 2145 (7.5) |
| Perceived mental health | |||
| Excellent | 18,598 (56.5) | 311 (39.5) | 18,287 (56.9) |
| Very Good | 8392 (24.6) | 210 (30.8) | 8182 (24.4) |
| Good | 6388 (15.7) | 180 (21.5) | 6208 (15.5) |
| Fair | 991 (2.7) | 64 (7.3) | 927 (2.5) |
| Poor | 208 (0.6) | 13 (1) | 195 (0.6) |
| Perceived physical health | |||
| Excellent | 17,775 (55.4) | 278 (37.2) | 17,497 (55.9) |
| Very Good | 9407 (27.4) | 237 (32.7) | 9170 (27.3) |
| Good | 6323 (14.8) | 199 (23.5) | 6124 (14.6) |
| Fair | 957 (2.1) | 54 (5.5) | 903 (2) |
| Poor | 115 (0.3) | 11 (1.1) | 104 (0.3) |
Frequency counts are based on observed frequencies. Percentages are based on survey weighted data in order to be nationally representative of the non-institutionalized childhood population in the United States.