Abstract
Background
Numerous child health status measures have been developed, ranging from assessments of physical and mental health to activity continuums. Our objective was to report the regional distribution of physical morbidity among children in Manitoba.
Methods
Using Manitoba’s population-based prescription and health care data for 1998/99, the prevalence of children with lower respiratory tract infections, four chronic conditions (asthma, cardiovascular disease, Type 1 diabetes mellitus and seizure disorders) and physical disabilities, including spina bifida and cerebral palsy, was determined for 12 Regional Health Authorities and 12 Winnipeg Community Areas, ranked by a measure of population healthiness, the premature mortality rate (PMR). Prescription rates were also reported by neighbourhood income quintile, derived from census data.
Results
Hospitalization for lower respiratory tract infection was highest in infants (6%) and increased with successive decreases in neighbourhood income or in the population healthiness of a region. On the basis of a physician diagnosis or prescription drug for asthma, 10% of school-age children had asthma. Asthma treatment rates in northern Manitoba were substantially lower than in Winnipeg. Treatment rates for cardiovascular conditions, Type I diabetes and seizure disorders approached 1% in adolescents and there were no regional differences in the distribution of these conditions. The prevalence of physical disability was highest in northern Manitoba.
Conclusion
A minority of Manitoba children suffer from chronic and serious acute health problems in childhood, but the burden of illness is not evenly distributed among children.
Résumé
Contexte
Il existe de nombreuses mesures de l’état de santé des enfants; elles vont des évaluations de la santé physique et mentale aux continuums de l’activité physique. On présente ici la répartition régionale des troubles physiques chez les enfants manitobains.
Méthode
À l’aide des données représentatives du Manitoba sur la prescription de médicaments et les soins de santé (1998-1999), nous avons déterminé la prévalence des enfants présentant des infections des voies respiratoires inférieures, quatre états chroniques (asthme, maladie cardiovasculaire, diabète de type 1, troubles épileptiques) ou des déficiences physiques comme le spina-bifida et l’infirmité motrice cérébrale dans 12 ORS et 12 CR de Winnipeg, classés selon une mesure de l’état de santé de la population (le TMP). Les taux de prescription de médicaments sur ordonnance sont également présentés par quintile de revenu des quartiers (selon les données du recensement).
Résultats
le plus haut taux d’hospitalisation pour infection des voies respiratoires inférieures a été mesuré chez les nourrissons (6 %) et augmentait avec les diminutions successives du revenu du quartier ou de l’état de santé de la population de la sous-région. D’après les diagnostics des médecins et les médicaments prescrits contre l’asthme, 10 % des enfants d’âge scolaire étaient asthmatiques. Les taux de traitement de l’asthme dans le Nord du Manitoba étaient sensiblement plus faibles qu’à Winnipeg. Les taux de traitement des maladies cardiovasculaires, du diabète de type 1 et des troubles épileptiques atteignaient près de 1 % chez les adolescents; on n’observe aucun écart régional dans la répartition de ces troubles. C’est dans le Nord du Manitoba que la prévalence des déficiences physiques était la plus élevée.
Conclusion
Une minorité d’enfants manitobains souffre de problèmes de santé chroniques et graves durant l’enfance, mais le fardeau de la maladie n’est pas équitablement réparti entre les enfants.
Footnotes
The full report “Assessing the Health of Children in Manitoba: A Population-Based Study” on which this article is based is available from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy at the above address or online at: https://doi.org/www.umanitoba.ca/centres/mchp/reports.htm
Sources of support: This work was supported as part of a project on Child Health in Manitoba, one of several projects undertaken each year by the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy under contract to Manitoba Health. The results and conclusions are those of the authors and no official endorsement by Manitoba Health was intended or should be inferred.
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