Prevalence of Pediatric-Onset Chronic Conditions, Functional Limitations Increasing
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2025 -- The prevalence of chronic conditions (CC) and functional limitations (FL) is increasing among children and young adults, according to a study published online March 7 in Academic Pediatrics.
Lauren E. Wisk, Ph.D., from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Niraj Sharma, M.D., M.P.H., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, examined the current prevalence and recent trends in pediatric-onset conditions in a secondary analysis of data from 236,412 participants, aged 5 to 25 years, from the 1999 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey.
The researchers found an increase in the prevalence of children (aged 5 to 17 years) with a CC/FL, from 22.57 percent in 1999/2000 to 30.21 percent in 2017/2018, representing a 0.24 percentage point adjusted annual increase per year or about 130,000 additional children per year. A similar increase was seen in the prevalence of young adults (18 to 25 years) with a CC/FL (adjusted annual increase of 0.33 percentage points per year). For both age groups, asthma and mental/behavioral health conditions were some of the leading CC and FL contributors to this increase, respectively. An estimated 1.2 million youth with a CC or FL turn 18 years old each year.
"Given the unprecedented number of youth with these pediatric-onset conditions, it is incumbent for the overall health care system to not only treat these youth in the pediatric setting but also seek ways to matriculate them into adult care so that their conditions are successfully managed across their life course," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted March 2025
Read this next
GERD Linked to Increased Incidence of Pulmonary Disease
TUESDAY, Aug. 19, 2025 -- The presence of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is associated with an increased incidence of pulmonary diseases, but this effect may be attenuated...
Six in 10 Children With Asthma Meet Guideline Diagnostic Criteria
THURSDAY, Aug. 14, 2025 -- Roughly two-thirds of children with pediatrician-diagnosed asthma have a confirmed diagnosis in accordance with international guideline criteria...
Study IDs Inflammatory Pathways Contributing to Asthma Exacerbations in Children
TUESDAY, Aug. 12, 2025 -- Inflammatory pathways that contribute to asthma exacerbations have been identified in children with eosinophilic asthma receiving mepolizumab, according...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.