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Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children
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Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Children's Health".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2023) | Viewed by 10001

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Meirong Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Work, Howard University, Washington, DC 20059, USA
Interests: child wellbeing; health disparities; social welfare policies and programs; access to services; multicultural social work
Dr. Shiyou Wu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Social Work, Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA
Interests: social determinants of behavioral health (e.g., substance use, depression); interventions to reduce health and social disparities; health disparities
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are organizing a Special Issue on “Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children” in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH). IJERPH (ISSN 1660-4601) is a peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles, critical reviews, research notes, and short communications in the interdisciplinary area of environmental health sciences and public health. 

The World Bank defines vulnerable children as “the group of children that experience negative outcomes, such as the loss of their education, morbidity, and malnutrition, at higher rates than do their peers”. Vulnerable children in difficult circumstances face a variety of problems, including severe poverty, exploitation, abuse and neglect, violence, victims of trafficking, displacement, and a lack of health care and education. The COVID-19 pandemic has also had a heavy impact on the health, wellbeing, and future of the world’s most vulnerable children. Every child deserves the care and support they need to stay healthy and thrive. 

Promoting health service access during childhood can improve vulnerable children’s quality of life and reduce the prevalence and impact of acute and chronic health conditions in later life. Studies assessing the factors influencing barriers to health service access and best practices on policies, programs, and interventions on improving access to health services and social support are needed to address the multi-faceted disparities in children’s health and wellbeing efficiently and effectively, especially considering vulnerable children from underserved backgrounds. 

There has been extensive research on health disparities and social support for vulnerable children. In this Special Issue, we aim to go one step further and focus on providing knowledge and implications for policy and practices to improve healthcare access, reduce health disparities, and provide social support for vulnerable children at individual, provider, family, community, and policy levels. We encourage a series of evidence-based studies (including, but not limited to, case studies, cross-sectional studies, interventions, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses) to offer an in-depth understanding of vulnerable children in need. 

This Special Issue is open to any subject area related to health services and social support for vulnerable children, and most importantly to policies, programs, community engagement, and interventions that provide access to healthcare services and social support for vulnerable children to improve their health and quality of life. 

Potential topics include but are not limited to:

  • The challenges faced by vulnerable children;
  • Identifying the needs of vulnerable children and families;
  • Inequalities in vulnerable children’s access to health services;
  • Assessment of policies, programs, and interventions that provide health services and social support for vulnerable children;
  • Increasing health service access for vulnerable children and families;
  • The role of social support to improve the safety, wellbeing, and future of the vulnerable children.

Dr. Meirong Liu
Dr. Shiyou Wu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • children’s health
  • access to health services
  • social support
  • quality of life
  • public Health
  • vulnerable children
  • health policies and services
  • social determinants of health

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 335 KiB  
Article
The Causal Effects of Urban-to-Urban Migration on Left-behind Children’s Well-Being in China
by Nan Lu, Wenting Lu, Renxing Chen and Wanzhi Tang
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(5), 4303; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20054303 - 28 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1481
Abstract
As China’s urbanization process deepens, more and more residents of small and medium-sized cities are moving to large cities, and the number of left-behind children is increasing. In this paper, using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), a nationally representative survey [...] Read more.
As China’s urbanization process deepens, more and more residents of small and medium-sized cities are moving to large cities, and the number of left-behind children is increasing. In this paper, using data from the China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), a nationally representative survey sample, we examine the well-being of left-behind children with urban household registration at the junior high school level and the causal effects of parental migration on their well-being. Research findings indicate that children who are left behind in urban areas are at a disadvantage in most aspects of their well-being compared to urban non-left-behind children. We examine the determinants of urban household registration for left-behind children. Children in families with lower socioeconomic status, more siblings, and poorer health were more likely to be left behind. In addition, our counterfactual framework reveals that, on average, staying behind negatively impacts the well-being of urban children, based on the propensity score matching (PSM) method. Compared to non-migrant children, left-behind children had significantly lower physical health, mental health, cognitive ability, academic performance, school affiliation, and relationships with their parents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children)
11 pages, 340 KiB  
Article
Athlete Identity and Mental Health of Student Athletes during COVID-19
by Katherine Antoniak, Clea Tucker, Katherine Rizzone, Tishya A. L. Wren and Bianca Edison
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 17062; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417062 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2700
Abstract
The purpose of our study is to evaluate athletic identity (AI) and mental health measures of youth and young adult athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study recruited athletes aged 11–25 years from universities, high schools, and middle schools in California and [...] Read more.
The purpose of our study is to evaluate athletic identity (AI) and mental health measures of youth and young adult athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-sectional study recruited athletes aged 11–25 years from universities, high schools, and middle schools in California and New York. Participants were emailed a link to an anonymous, cross-sectional electronic survey. The measure included the athletic identity measurement scale (AIMS), the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), and demographic variables. Chi-square, Fisher’s Exact Test, and linear regression were used to examine the relationships between AI, symptoms of anxiety, and symptoms of depression by age, gender, and race. The survey was completed by 653 participants. AI was stratified by tertiary percentiles. The odds of positively scoring for symptoms of anxiety were 60% higher for participants in college compared with high school (OR: 1.60, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.35]). Conversely, the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 68% higher for participants in high school compared to college (OR: 1.68, 95% CI: [1.09, 2.59]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were higher for athletes who scored as high AI, compared to those who scored as moderate (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: [1.11, 2.68]) or low (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: [1.20, 3.12]). The odds of scoring positively for symptoms of anxiety on the PHQ-4 were 3.2 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 3.19, 95% CI: [2.31, 4.41]), and the odds of scoring positively for symptoms of depression were 2.4 times higher for participants who identified as female (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: [1.56, 3.54]). Female athletes experienced symptoms of depression and anxiety at significantly higher rates than male athletes during the COVID-19 pandemic. High school students experienced fewer symptoms of anxiety, but greater symptoms of depression as compared to the collegiate group, while college students experienced greater odds of symptoms of anxiety. Athletes in the high AI group were more likely to report symptoms of depression than moderate or low identity groups. Female athletes reported lower AI than male athletes, but still had greater symptoms of anxiety and depression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children)
12 pages, 735 KiB  
Article
Human Milk for Vulnerable Infants: Breastfeeding and Milk Sharing Practice among Ghanaian Women
by Cecilia Obeng, Frederica Jackson, Christiana Nsiah-Asamoah, Salome Amissah-Essel, Barnabas Obeng-Gyasi, Cydne A. Perry and Ines Gonzalez Casanova
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16560; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416560 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1618
Abstract
Human milk has the best impact on childhood survival. In Ghana, it is estimated that 43% of women exclusively breastfeed for 0–5 months and only 42% of breastfeeding mothers continue through 20–23 months. Although the Ghanaian government has implemented policies to facilitate exclusive [...] Read more.
Human milk has the best impact on childhood survival. In Ghana, it is estimated that 43% of women exclusively breastfeed for 0–5 months and only 42% of breastfeeding mothers continue through 20–23 months. Although the Ghanaian government has implemented policies to facilitate exclusive breastfeeding, substantial gaps to achieve optimal newborn health and wellbeing remain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate breastfeeding prevalence and human milk sharing practices among Ghanaian women. Qualitative responses were received from Ghanaian females (n = 1050). In our sample, 81% indicated they breastfed their children and 8% reported ever sharing breastmilk with another mother. Reasons for sharing milk included (i) insufficient breastmilk production of the recipient mother, and (ii) mother’s unavailability prompting women to offer their milk to a crying baby. About 60% of our sample reported that they were not concerned about sharing their milk. Findings present a strong indicator for milk donation towards the establishment of a human milk bank in Ghana. Health promotion efforts should aim at increasing education about the risks involved in milk sharing as well as the benefits of human milk donation through formal and safer channels such as a Human Milk Bank. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children)
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Review

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19 pages, 682 KiB  
Review
Predisposing, Enabling, and Need Factors Associated with Psychotropic Medication and Mental Health Service Use among Children in Out-of-Home Care in the United States: A Scoping Review
by Yanfeng Xu, Andrew M. Winters, Nelís Soto-Ramírez, Lauren McCarthy, Gail Betz and Meirong Liu
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(18), 6769; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20186769 - 15 Sep 2023
Viewed by 1684
Abstract
This scoping review aimed to identify predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with the use of mental health services, including psychotropic medications, among children in out-of-home care in the United States. We searched the PsycInfo, SocINDEX, Medline, and Scopus databases, and 22 studies [...] Read more.
This scoping review aimed to identify predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with the use of mental health services, including psychotropic medications, among children in out-of-home care in the United States. We searched the PsycInfo, SocINDEX, Medline, and Scopus databases, and 22 studies met inclusion criteria and were systematically analyzed. Among the included studies, 7 studies examined predictors associated with taking psychotropic medications, and 16 examined factors associated with using other mental health services. Significant predisposing, enabling, and need factors associated with greater use of mental health services, including psychotropic medications, were identified. The most frequently identified predisposing factors were child race/ethnicity, age, gender, and maltreatment. Important enabling factors were out-of-home placement type and length of care, and need factors included children’s mental/behavioral problems. The results provide insight into maximizing factors facilitating children’s use of mental health services to address mental health problems of children in out-of-home care. Further, the results imply the importance of the appropriate use of psychotropic medication (e.g., the type and dosage of medications) among children in out-of-home care. The identified factors can inform child welfare agencies and stakeholders on ways to improve access to mental health services and the appropriate use of psychotropic medications among children in out-of-home care in the United States. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children)
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Other

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7 pages, 1541 KiB  
Case Report
Infantile Hemangioma: A Common Lesion in a Vulnerable Population
by Samon Nazemian, Shohreh Sharif and Esther L. B. Childers
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(8), 5585; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20085585 - 20 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1619
Abstract
Infantile hemangioma (IH) is important to all dentists, particularly dentists providing services to pediatric populations, because significant morbidity and mortality can occur from vascular lesions in children. Specialists of the oral cavity have the responsibility to identify patients with IH, a lesion that [...] Read more.
Infantile hemangioma (IH) is important to all dentists, particularly dentists providing services to pediatric populations, because significant morbidity and mortality can occur from vascular lesions in children. Specialists of the oral cavity have the responsibility to identify patients with IH, a lesion that could be potentially life threatening. We present a case of IH and will provide a narrative review of the most recent literature. We discuss the diagnosis, risk stratification, treatment, complications, and impact on routine dental procedures. A proper diagnosis is crucial as oral and perioral IH are considered high-risk due to the increased risk of ulceration and feeding impairment. Referral to a hemangioma specialist for comprehensive team treatment is optimal. The natural history of IH consists of a long proliferative phase, which manifests as clinically visible growth. As a result of early encounters with patients, the pediatric dentist may often be considered the primary care provider. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Health Service Access and Social Support among Vulnerable Children)
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