COMPARISON OF ADJUSTMENT OF SCHOOL-AGE-CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT CHRONIC CONDITIONS - RESULTS FROM COMMUNITY-BASED SAMPLES

We assessed whether children in the 1990s who were identified as havin g Chronic Conditions) were as well adjusted as children without chroni c conditions, and whether selection factors or sociodemographic variab les accounted for any observed differences. Random-digit-dial telephon e surveys were conducted using two separate samples: one consisting of 1275 children in 654 inner-city households and the other of 1388 chil dren in a national sample of 712 households. Children with chronic con ditions had poorer parent-reported functioning on the Personal Adjustm ent and Role Skills Scale total score and three of its six subscales ( Hostility, Dependency, and Productivity). Differences in two other sub scales (Withdrawal and Anxiety/Depression) were significant only for t he inner-city sample. The results were consistent when controlling for other potentially confounding factors. These findings demonstrate tha t mental health risks continue to occur among contemporary community-b ased samples of children with chronic health conditions who are identi fied by using noncategorical techniques. These risks have implications for the care of those children.