Association of Residential Mobility with Child Health: An Analysis of the 2007 National Survey of Children’s Health

Ashley Busacker, Laurin Kasehagen

To describe the association of residential mobility with child health. We conducted descriptive, bivariate, and multivariable analyses of data from 63,131 children, 6-17 years, from the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health. Logistic regression was used to explore the association of residential mobility with child health and measures of well-being. Analyses were carried out using SAS-callable SUDAAN to appropriately weight estimates and adjust for the complex sampling design. After adjusting for age, race/ethnicity, presence of a special health care need, family structure, parental education, poverty level, and health insurance status, children who moved ≥ 3 times were more likely to have poorer reported overall physical (AOR 1.21 [95 %CI: 1.01-1.46]) and oral health status (AOR 1.31 [95 % CI: 1.15-1.49]), and ≥ 1 moderate/severe chronic conditions (AOR 1.40 [95 % CI: 1.19-1.65]) than children who had no lifetime moves. When compared to children who had never moved, children who moved ≥ 3 times were more likely to be uninsured/have periods of no coverage (AOR 1.35; 95 % CI: 0.98-1.87) and lack a medical home (AOR 1.16, 95 % CI: 1.04-1.31). None of the outcomes were statistically significant for children who moved fewer than 3 times. Clinicians need to be aware that children who move frequently may lack stable medical homes and consistent coverage increasing their risk of poor health outcomes and aggravation of mild or underlying chronic conditions. Public health systems could provide the necessary link between parents and clinicians to ensure that continuous, coordinated care is established for children who move frequently.