Socioeconomic Status and Determinants of Pediatric Antibiotic Use. Journal Article


Authors: McGurn, A; Watchmaker, B; Adam, K; Ni, J; Babinski, P; Friedman, H; Boyd, B; Dugas, LR; Markossian, T
Article Title: Socioeconomic Status and Determinants of Pediatric Antibiotic Use.
Abstract: . Evidence suggests that early-life antibiotic use can alter gut microbiome, predisposing children to obesity. The obesity epidemic has a disproportionate effect on individuals from lower socioeconomic status (SES). Thus, this study aims to explore the link between SES and antibiotic use. . We performed a retrospective cohort study of all babies born at and receiving 2 or more outpatient visits at a large, suburban health system in Illinois (United States) between 2007 and 2017. We collected data on zip code as a proxy for SES and antibiotic use in the first year of life. We also obtained comorbid diagnosis codes, race/ethnicity, gender, and number of inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department visits. . A total of 7224 patients met our study criteria. Children from low-poverty areas received a lifetime average of 4.28 prescriptions, while those from high-poverty neighborhoods received an average of 3.31 prescriptions. This was statistically significant in our unadjusted analysis but not after adjusting for covariates. Children from high-poverty areas were significantly more likely to receive more antibiotics at 48 hours, 1 week, and 1 month of life in our unadjusted analysis, but not after adjusting for covariates. In our unadjusted and adjusted analyses, children from high-poverty areas were significantly more likely to have received antibiotics at 1 week of life. . The relationship between SES and antibiotic use warrants further investigation to help elucidate possible causes of the disproportionate impact obesity has in low-income communities.
Journal Title: Clinical pediatrics
ISSN: 1938-2707; 0009-9228
Publisher: Unknown  
Date Published: 2020