Study: Pediatric hospitalizations rise when unemployment rises

Pediatric hospitalization rates appear to increase when unemployment levels rise, according to a study of 14 states between 2002 and 2014, reported yesterday in Health Affairs. For every 1% increase in unemployment, researchers saw a 5% increase in hospitalizations for substance abuse, a 4% increase for diabetes, a 2% increase for poisoning and burns, and a 2% increase for medically complex children. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the study looked at county-level data on unemployment for Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont and Washington. The study data precedes any job losses associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.