School-based health centers reduce income-based health disparities

A new journal article published in Pediatrics by Faculty Associate Michel Boudreaux (with colleagues Jun Chu and Brandy Lipton) examines the effect that opening school-based health centers (SBHCs) has on children in low-income families. SBHCs, which are located at schools, offer convenient preventative and primary health care to students for free or at reduced rates.

To empirically examine whether SBHCs are associated with gains in health, healthcare access, and healthcare utilization, Boudreaux and colleagues employ a 20-year nationally-representative dataset of lower- (< 200% FPL; N = 12,624) and higher-income (> 200% FPL; N = 24,631) youth age 5 to 17 living in the US. In the lower-income sample, SBHC adoption was associated with gains in having a dental visit in the past year (+6.4%), having a usual source of care (+8.0%), and health insurance status (+5.2%).

Boudreaux's second goal was to assess whether SBHCs reduced income-based disparities between higher- and lower-income youth; indeed, SBHCs were associated with reductions in disparities to dental visits (-4.9%), having a usual source of care (-7.2%), and health insurance status (-3.5%).

The authors conclude by arguing for additional SBHC expansion to further these positive effects on low-income families health.

 

Boudreaux M, Chu J, Lipton BJ. School-Based Health Centers, Access to Care, and Income-Based Disparities. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(9):e2334532. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34532.

Published on Thu, 04/24/2025 - 09:55