Healthcare costs associated with language difficulties up to 9 years of age : Australian population-based study

Journal article


Sciberras, Emma, Westrupp, Elizabeth M., Wake, Melissa, Nicholson, Jan M., Lucas, Nina, Mensah, Fiona, Gold, Lisa and Reilly, Sheena. (2015). Healthcare costs associated with language difficulties up to 9 years of age : Australian population-based study. International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. 17(1), pp. 41-52. https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2014.898095
AuthorsSciberras, Emma, Westrupp, Elizabeth M., Wake, Melissa, Nicholson, Jan M., Lucas, Nina, Mensah, Fiona, Gold, Lisa and Reilly, Sheena
Abstract

Purpose. This study aimed to quantify the non-hospital healthcare costs associated with language difficulties within two nationally representative samples of children.

Method. Data were from three biennial waves (2004–2008) of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children (B cohort: 0–5 years; K cohort: 4–9 years). Language difficulties were defined as scores ≤ 1.25 SD below the mean on measures of parent-reported communication (0–3 years) and directly assessed vocabulary (4–9 years). Participant data were linked to administrative data on non-hospital healthcare attendances and prescription medications from the universal Australian Medicare subsidized healthcare scheme.

Result. It was found that healthcare costs over each 2-year age band were higher for children with than without language difficulties at 0–1, 2–3, and 4–5 years, notably 36% higher (mean difference = $AU206, 95% CI = $90, $321) at 4–5 years (B cohort). The slightly higher 2-year healthcare costs for children with language difficulties at 6–7 and 8–9 years were not statistically different from those without language difficulties. Modelled to the corresponding Australian child population, 2-year government costs ranged from $AU1.2–$AU12.1 million (depending on age examined). Six-year healthcare costs increased with the persistence of language difficulties in the K cohort, with total Medicare costs increasing by $192 (95% CI = $74, $311; p = .002) for each additional wave of language difficulties.

Conclusion. Language difficulties (whether transient or persistent) were associated with substantial excess population healthcare costs in childhood, which are in addition to the known broader costs incurred through the education system. It is unclear whether healthcare costs were specifically due to the assessment and/or treatment of language difficulties, as opposed to conditions that may be co-morbid with or may cause language difficulties.

Keywordslanguage; healthcare; costs; economic; children; longitudinal
Year2015
JournalInternational Journal of Speech-Language Pathology
Journal citation17 (1), pp. 41-52
PublisherInforma Healthcare
ISSN1754-9515
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.3109/17549507.2014.898095
Scopus EID2-s2.0-84921341905
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range41-52
FunderNational Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC)
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online06 May 2014
Publication process dates
Deposited09 Sep 2021
Grant IDNHMRC/1023493
NHMRC/436914
NHMRC/425855
NHMRC/1037159
NHMRC/546405
NHMRC/390136
NHMRC/1046518
NHMRC/1041892
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8wvz7/healthcare-costs-associated-with-language-difficulties-up-to-9-years-of-age-australian-population-based-study

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 87
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 2
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Parents’ supervised contact visits with their children in care : Factors associated with cancellations
Taplin, Stephanie, Lucas, Nina, Suomi, Aino, Humphreys, Cathy, Kertesz, Margaret and McArthur, Morag. (2021). Parents’ supervised contact visits with their children in care : Factors associated with cancellations. Children and Youth Services Review. 127, p. Article 106127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2021.106127
Cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) to support parental contact for children in out-of-home care
Suomi, Aino, Lucas, Nina, McArthur, Morag, Humphreys, Cathy, Dobbins, Timothy and Taplin, Stephanie. (2020). Cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) to support parental contact for children in out-of-home care. Child Abuse and Neglect. 109, p. 104708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104708
Health care costs associated with parent-reported ADHD : A longitudinal Australian population–based study
Sciberras, Emma, Lucas, Nina, Efron, Daryl, Gold, Lisa, Hiscock, Harriet and Nicholson, Jan M.. (2017). Health care costs associated with parent-reported ADHD : A longitudinal Australian population–based study. Journal of Attention Disorders. 21(13), pp. 1063-1071. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054713491494
Health-care costs of underweight, overweight and obesity : Australian population-based study
Clifford, Susan A., Gold, Lisa, Mensah, Fiona K., Jansen, Pauline W., Lucas, Nina, Nicholson, Jan M. and Wake, Melissa. (2015). Health-care costs of underweight, overweight and obesity : Australian population-based study. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 51(12), pp. 1199-1206. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12932
Community-based healthcare costs for children born low birthweight, preterm and/or small for gestational age : Data from the longitudinal study of Australian children
Westrupp, E. M., Lucas, N., Mensah, F. K., Gold, L., Wake, M. and Nicholson, J. M.. (2014). Community-based healthcare costs for children born low birthweight, preterm and/or small for gestational age : Data from the longitudinal study of Australian children. Child: Care, Health and Development. 40(2), pp. 259-266. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12040
Primary health-care costs associated with special health care needs up to age 7 years : Australian population-based study
Quach, Jon, Oberklaid, Frank, Gold, Lisa, Lucas, Nina, Mensah, Fiona K. and Wake, Melissa. (2014). Primary health-care costs associated with special health care needs up to age 7 years : Australian population-based study. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 50(10), pp. 768-774. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12649
Heightened maternal separation anxiety in the postpartum : The role of socioeconomic disadvantage
Cooklin, Amanda R., Lucas, Nina, Strazdins, Lyndall, Westrupp, Elizabeth, Giallo, Rebecca, Canterford, Louise and Nicholson, Jan M.. (2014). Heightened maternal separation anxiety in the postpartum : The role of socioeconomic disadvantage. Journal of Family Issues. 35(11), pp. 1497-1519. https://doi.org/10.1177/0192513X13481776