A profile of chronic mental and physical conditions among African-American and Latino children in urban public housing.

OBJECTIVE This study provides a profile of chronic mental and physical conditions among African-American and Latino children in urban public housing communities in Los Angeles, California. METHODS The study focused on 187 African-American and Latino households with children, 65% of a random sample of 287 households in three urban public housing communities. RESULTS The findings suggest that minority children residing in public housing are one of the more severely health-compromised groups among under-served communities. Children of Latino and African-American families in our sample are two to four times more likely to suffer from chronic physical and mental conditions than the general population. The top five childhood chronic conditions reported by parents for one or more children in their households were asthma (32%), eye/vision problems (24%), dental problems (16%), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (17%), and depression (8%). CONCLUSION This study documents significant health disparities in this population and strongly suggests the need for future investigations in similar settings nationwide.