Skip to main content

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities in Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1443992

Childcare as a social determinant of access to healthcare: a scoping review

Provisionally accepted
Megan Mcarthur Megan Mcarthur 1Persephone Tian Persephone Tian 1Kimberly A Kho Kimberly A Kho 2Kavita P Bhavan Kavita P Bhavan 3,4Bijal A Balasubramanian Bijal A Balasubramanian 5Anisha P Ganguly Anisha P Ganguly 3,4*
  • 1 Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, United States
  • 2 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
  • 3 Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas, United States
  • 4 Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, United States
  • 5 Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Introduction: As health systems strive to screen for and address social determinants of health (SDOH), the role of access to childcare and barriers to healthcare posed by childcare needs remains underexplored. A gap exists in synthesizing existing evidence on the role of access to childcare as a SDOH. Methods: This scoping review aimed to examine and analyze existing literature on the role of childcare needs as a social determinant of access to healthcare. We conducted a structured literature search across PubMed, Scopus, health policy fora, and professional healthcare societies to inclusively aggregate studies across interdisciplinary sources published between January 2000 and June 2023. Two independent reviewers reviewed results to determine inclusions and exclusions. Studies were coded into salient themes utilizing an iterative inductive approach. Results: Among 535 search results, 526 met criteria for eligibility screening. Among 526 eligible studies, 91 studies met inclusion criteria for analysis. Five key themes were identified through data analysis: (1) barriers posed by childcare needs to healthcare appointments, (2) the opportunity for alternative care delivery models to overcome childcare barriers, (3) the effect of childcare needs on participation in medical research, (4) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on childcare needs, and (5) the disproportionate burden of childcare experienced by vulnerable populations. Discussion: Childcare needs remain underexplored in existing research. Current evidence demonstrates the relevance of childcare needs as a barrier to healthcare access, however dedicated studies are lacking. Future research is needed to understand mechanisms of childcare barriers in access to healthcare and explore potential interventions.

    Keywords: Childcare, social determinants of health, Access to healthcare, caregiver, health-related social need, health equity

    Received: 04 Jun 2024; Accepted: 13 Nov 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Mcarthur, Tian, Kho, Bhavan, Balasubramanian and Ganguly. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Anisha P Ganguly, Parkland Health & Hospital System, Dallas, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.